Wireless network provider Siklu has deployed 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) connectivity to the Statue of Liberty.
The network will deliver high-speed, secure and interference-free gigabit fiber extension to Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the company said.
Liberty Island is supported by a large network of video cameras that generate thousands of megabits of traffic, which needs to be off-loaded from the island to the mainland’s fiber network. The absence of a high-speed connection due to the lack of wireline connection meant that the process was previously slow. Additionally, because the harbor is busy, water reflection interference hampered conventional wireless radio connections between the island and the mainland..
As such, Convergint Technologies was hired to transform the system on Liberty Island using Siklu’s mmWave wireless solutions to connect to Battery Park, Liberty Park and Ellis Island, thereby reducing the requirements for the statue’s wireless network.
According to reports, mmWave was used because its narrow beams can avoid heavy ship traffic in New York Harbor and the technology does not need to be mounted on large towers.
Used within cities, mmWave beams currently struggle to penetrate objects such as walls, windows and trees, making the technology difficult to operate indoors. However, at Liberty Island, there are no buildings or infrastructure to serve as obstacles to the mmWave frequencies.
Siklu said the installation of an mmWave network will also ensure that the network will be able to support any increased data traffic in the future.
