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As New Cell Technology Comes To Aspen, City Seeks Input

Alex Hager
/
Aspen Public Radio

Across the nation, changes are coming to the way cell signal reaches people’s phones. A new technology called “small cell” is being installed nationwide at the behest of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Before Aspen installs the new transmitters, the city is gathering public opinion about how it should do so.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, the city is hosting workshops to share information and hear thoughts from residents. Registration for those workshops can be found on the city’s website.

“This is the opportunity for folks to have some say about what these facilities look like and where they're located,” said planner Ben Anderson.

According to Anderson, the cylindrical transmitters will be affixed to lampposts. In about two to five years, they will likely be fully deployed, paving the way for the adoption of 5G technology.

 

Alex is KUNC's reporter covering the Colorado River Basin. He spent two years at Aspen Public Radio, mainly reporting on the resort economy, the environment and the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, he covered the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery for KDLG in Dillingham, Alaska.