Let’s Keep New Yorkers Connected

Expanding Access to Public Health and Medical Services

By significantly increasing the speed of digital video and data transmission services, 5G makes it easier for patients to connect with doctors and other healthcare professionals.

5G-driven telehealth networks will play a crucial role in delivering healthcare services to underserved communities – and they have become even more important as the Covid-19 pandemic requires us to find new ways to receive medical care and advice while maintaining social distancing whenever possible.

Improving Education and Keeping Students Connected

5G will revolutionize education for students, teachers and parents alike by dramatically improving communication, reducing download times and facilitating the use of new, state-of the-art technologies in all kinds of digital classrooms.

As Covid-19 has forced K-12 school systems, colleges and universities across the state to transition to remote learning models, it has unfortunately put a new spotlight on a digital divide that slows down students who lack access to high-speed connectivity. New Yorkers agree that low-income or minority students should not be left behind because all students deserve equal access to digital and remote learning tools.

Now is the time to use the power of 5G to keep all students and their families connected to the digital resources they needed.

Strengthening Public Safety Tools for First Responders

80 percent of 9-1-1 calls today are placed from a wireless device, making cellular service more important than ever before. 5G will deliver better digital access to emergency services provided by police officers, firefighters, and first responders and improve outcomes across New York.

The faster systems provided by 5G enable first responders to access enhanced location data for 9-1-1 calls, send video or pictures to their command centers in real time via wireless devices, which can help save lives. They also help first responders to navigate more quickly onsite with wireless access to building drawings or other critical information within seconds of a request.

New Yorkers care about arming first responders with more of the high-tech tools they need to keep us safe – and implementing 5G connectivity will make that possible.

Increasing Telecommuting Capabilities

Up to half of Americans were working from home as a result of the near-national lockdown put in place in an effort to reduce transmission of the novel coronavirus. That’s more than double the number who telecommuted – at least occasionally – in 2017-18. Experts are predicting that the percentage of those working from home will be higher even after stay-at- home orders are loosened or lifted.

Roughly three-quarters of American adults have broadband access at home, but access is significantly lower among minorities, seniors and residents in low-income and rural communities. Roughly one-in-five adults – particularly minorities, low-income individuals and young adults - across the U.S. are smartphone only users, which means they rely on their wireless handheld devices for online access.

Research has indicated that telecommuting can improve productivity. Moreover, New Yorkers need an ultra-fast network that can handle large amounts of data quickly without the threat of freezing or crashing – and 5G will make it happen.