These Harlem Blocks May Get Huge 5G Towers, City Says

HARLEM, NY — Five street corners around Harlem may soon be home to enormous 5G transmitting poles as the city aims to expand internet access across the five boroughs.

The 32-foot-tall 5G poles are part of LinkNYC, a program that seeks to "bridge the digital divide" by introducing high-speed internet service around the city — especially in underserved neighborhoods with low rates of broadband access.

But some neighborhoods have pushed back against the towers, objecting to their sheer size and aesthetic impact on the streetscape.

As Patch reported earlier this month, a public list maintained by the city shows the dozens of sites where the Office of Technology and Innovation is eyeing new 5G towers — including five spots in Harlem.

They are as follows:

• 217 Malcolm X Blvd. (at West 121st Street)
• In Marcus Garvey Park, across from 18 Mount Morris Park West (near West 122nd Street)
• In Marcus Garvey Park, across from 3 Mount Morris Park West (near West 120th Street)
• Corner of East 111th Street and FDR Drive (near 420 East 111th St.)
• East 110th Street between First Avenue and FDR Drive (near 401 East 110th St.)

All five sites have public comment periods that will end on Jan. 16, according to the city's list. The exact timeline for installing them is unclear, though it could be relatively soon — in a November letter to an Upper East Side community board, the city said it would "proceed with installation" with that neighborhood's 5G poles if it did not receive feedback by mid-January 2023.

There are also many more likely to follow: the city has said it aims to deploy 2,000 of the towers in the coming years, focusing on the outer boroughs and Manhattan north of 96th Street.

Similar to the first-generation LinkNYC kiosks, the 5G towers will provide access to free Wi-Fi, USB charging, nationwide calling, and 911 and 311, with some also including digital advertising screens.

"We believe that digital connectivity is a human right, necessary to fully participate and access opportunities in modern society," OTI spokesperson Ray Legendre said this month.

Indeed, around one-fifth of households in some parts of Harlem lack internet access, according to a 2020 city report — higher rates than in nearby neighborhoods like the Upper East and West Sides.

Harlem already has dozens of the first-generation LinkNYC Wi-Fi kiosks, which include large advertising screens and began replacing the city's defunct payphones starting in 2014.

The city's partner in LinkNYC is the private consortium CityBridge, which has been beset by problems since not long after the program's inception. Last year, the city amended its contract with CityBridge to require that 90 percent of 5G poles be built in under-served neighborhoods, after New Yorkers decried the fact that many LinkNYC kiosks had yet to be activated in the areas that needed the most.

Telecom companies may pay CityBridge to put their equipment inside the poles, while everyday New Yorkers will need to already be paying for a mobile plan that includes 5G in order to connect to one, according to THE CITY. (Wi-Fi will remain free, however.)

The new 5G poles began their citywide rollout earlier this year, with Mayor Eric Adams unveiling one of the first such towers in the Bronx in July.

Related coverage: Huge 5G Towers Are Coming To These NYC Corners: MAP