UScellular, a leading telecommunications company, has recently launched its 5G mid-band network in several cities in eastern Iowa. This new network will provide mobile, home, and business internet services to customers in the area. With increased capacity and low latency, the 5G mid-band network offers smoother data processing and speeds up to 10 times faster than both 4G LTE and current low-band 5G networks.
The network launch includes the cities of Waterloo, Waverly, and Tama. UScellular has upgraded its towers with the new 5G technology, allowing local customers with mid-band capable smartphones, such as the iPhone 14, to experience faster speeds. Moreover, the 5G mid-band network can also enhance home and business internet connections through fixed wireless technology. This technology enables homes and businesses to wirelessly connect to nearby cell towers, providing high-speed broadband connections without the need for wired connections like fiber or cable.
In related news, the city of Waterloo has been making significant strides towards establishing a fiber network to provide municipal telecommunications services, including broadband internet, to its residents. Waterloo Fiber Internet has appointed Eric Lage as the general manager of telecommunications for the utility. The city council has awarded a bid for the fiber-to-the-premise and backbone network project to ITG Communications, totaling $77.9 million. The project will begin with implementing a fiber backbone in southern Waterloo this fall.
To support the broadband project, nearly $2 million has been awarded to Waterloo, contributing to the plan to construct a municipal broadband network. Additionally, on September 13th, a special election will be held to determine whether the city should borrow $20 million through general obligation bonds for the development of a municipal communications utility.
The launch of UScellular’s 5G mid-band network in eastern Iowa cities, along with the ongoing efforts of the city of Waterloo to establish a fiber network, demonstrates a commitment to providing high-speed internet services to residents and businesses. With faster speeds and improved connectivity, these advancements will contribute to the overall growth and development of the region’s telecommunications infrastructure.
