Verizon installs 5G equipment outside homeowners' homes, sparking complaints

According to foreign media, the US telecommunications operator Verizon has recently caused dissatisfaction among some residents in Houston. It is understood that the company installed a freezer-sized device at the doorsteps of some residents to power 5G base stations.

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It is reported that these devices that need to be deployed on the ground are called "ground fixtures", which mainly provide power and data for 5G antennas on nearby poles. Although millimeter wave technology can provide ultra-fast speeds, its disadvantage is that its coverage is very small. For this reason, the current solution to improve coverage is to use antennas to cover a certain area, which requires the installation of these somewhat large ground devices.

Verizon doesn't need to get permission from property owners or even give them advance notice to install the equipment, because the equipment and poles are technically installed on the right-of-way, which is owned by the county. Permits to install the equipment are cheap for telecom companies, costing only $300 each.