NEW YORK STATE AND VERIZON’S FUTURES:
More Connected in More Ways and Places than Ever Before
By LEECIA EVE Verizon Vice President, State Government Affairs, New York, New Jersey & Connecticut It’s easy to forget that smartphones and other connected devices have been a part of our lives for only about ten years. But over those years, they have helped drive tremendous changes in how we communicate, and even in how we live. Verizon has played an important role in bringing these changes to Americans of all walks of life. That role will grow for years to come as the number of devices needing mobile connections grows through technology and innovation. That rapid growth in communications technology and innovation in telecommunications poses significant policy challenges for state lawmakers. In 2017, New York lawmakers will have opportunities to address some of these challenges to encourage wireless broadband deployment and bring the full benefits of that deployment to New Yorkers through smart communities services and other modern solutions.
Enabling Robust Digital Wireless Networks Provides a Foundation Simply put, more Americans are using more mobile phones and connected devices than ever before. And we’re using them to do more things in even more places. To stay ahead of that explosive growth in demand, Verizon is constantly building extra capacity and innovation into our networks. In 2016 alone, we invested billions to meet the surging demand for mobile data and video connections because when it comes to communications networks, being better truly does matter. Our extraordinary commitment to network excellence has kept us at the top of the class. For the sixth consecutive testing period, Verizon’s network was rated No. 1 in overall network performance of the four national wireless providers in the United States by RootMetrics in its National Rootscore® Report. At Verizon, we are always looking ahead, preparing to meet customers’ changing needs of tomorrow. That means providing more services and more capacity in more places. To do just that, we’re adding small, low-powered cell antennas where the greatest numbers of customers need to stay connected. Here in New York State, Corning Community College was the nations’ first college campus to deploy Verizon’s outdoor small cell technology. That gave students and faculty in the college’s most highly-trafficked areas much better coverage and ability to connect to the internet at high speed. That’s just one example of how Verizon is using small cells to improve coverage and add capacity in heavily-trafficked areas where people need or want to stay connected. And it’s one reason we support legislation for a uniform local process for upgrading and maintaining wireless network equipment in keeping with recent federal requirements. This will promote investment in and facilitate deployment of digital wireless broadband communications networks to keep New York consumers, businesses and government agencies connected.
A Solid Wireless Network Foundation Offers “Smart” Solutions Our communities face new challenges in maintaining livability, resiliency and sustainability. Population growth, housing shortages, changes in workforce requirements and rapid urbanization are straining resources and stretching budgets. City planners are searching for solutions and many are turning to the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve their local quality of life. The Internet of Things or IoT is starting to help communities both large and small solve today’s biggest challenges – challenges like speeding up emergency response, easing peak vehicle traffic flow, boosting energy and water efficiency, and more. IoT services are helping communities save time, resources, power and fuel and even manage waste removal. In short, they’re helping communities manage today’s challenges, all while boosting citizen engagement. This spring, Verizon will test a new program in New Rochelle to add kiosks to let citizens and visitors charge devices, connect via Wi-Fi, or use an interactive touch screen to find services, navigate or check the latest weather forecast. From there, it’s not a leap to add things like intelligent parking to help you find a space or enable more efficient control of lighting and security. We’ve already started working with forward-thinking local governments to find technologies to help them harness the power of data to make decisions that improve the lives of their residents. We look forward to working with state lawmakers to find new ways to encourage the availability and adoption of smart communities services. These are just some of the innovations needed to keep New York competitive to attract new investment and businesses. As one of New York’s largest private-sector employers and one of its largest property owners and taxpayers, we at Verizon are integral to the state’s economic growth. We thank New York’s lawmakers and community leaders who understand the opportunities for Verizon’s robust and innovative networks to bring New Yorkers the promise of the digital world in 2017 and beyond.