PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach has partnered with Verizon on an innovative project that will benefit the community and enable Verizon to expand small cells to enhance wireless connectivity infrastructure and lay the foundation for 5G service. 5G refers to the fifth generation of mobile communication standards which is defined by faster speeds, more bandwidth and lower latency than current 4G networks. The agreement provides community benefits that further the City’s Master Fiber Plan, Digital Inclusion Initiative and Smart City Initiative.

“This partnership represents an actionable step forward to advance digital inclusion, improving the quality of life for residents, and moving Long Beach ahead as a leading smart city,” said Mayor Robert Garcia.

As part of the agreement, Verizon is providing 100 Mi-Fi hotspot devices activated with four years of service and $50,000 to the Long Beach Public Library Foundation which will be used to purchase Chromebooks. As part of the City’s Digital Inclusion Initiative, the Long Beach Public Library will implement a device check-out program for Long Beach residents.

“We are proud of this agreement that will support our youngest Long Beach residents during this time of mandatory online learning and beyond,” said Library Services Director Glenda Williams. “The student-targeted devices are critical for the success of those in need of technology and internet access.”

“These hotspots and Chromebooks, which will be available to students, will help the City’s efforts to bridge the digital divide,” said Long Beach Public Library Foundation Executive Director Katherine Azar.

Smart City solutions also will be supported as part of the agreement. For 24 months, Verizon will provide hardware and software services for an intersection safety analysis to guide traffic safety improvements, and traffic congestion data collection and mitigation insights to help the City understand and improve traffic flow for 10 routes and 30 miles of roadway.

Verizon will also install at no cost to the City a distributed antenna system (DAS) at the airport and at the convention center. DAS systems will greatly increase user wireless broadband experience.

Verizon will pay the City $100 per pole annually for a term of 20 years for up to 400 City-owned poles, streetlights or other assets, and the City agreed to expedite these permit requests for both small cells on poles and fiber lines. The City has adopted visual standards for these poles according to state and federal law. Verizon also will provide at no cost to the City nearly nine non-contiguous miles of fiber network conduit for the City to use to develop its fiber network to connect Citywide facilities. This fiber infrastructure is a critical operational and strategic City asset that hand in hand with City staff, facilitates the delivery of services to residents, businesses and visitors.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Long Beach Public Library
Long Beach Public Library, founded in 1896, serves a diverse urban city of close to half a million people. The Long Beach Public Library system includes Main Library and eleven neighborhood libraries and a vibrant online presence. In summer of 2017, the Long Beach Public Library was awarded the National Medal for Library and Museum Services in recognition of successful community-collaborations, innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy-focused programs to the residents of Long Beach. With an emphasis on providing free and equal access to information and support for learning for a lifetime, the Library offers books, media, databases, Internet access, Family Learning Centers, makerspaces, and a variety of events ranging from story times to cultural programs and educational workshops.

For more information, visit www.lbpl.org, “Like” the Long Beach Public Library on Facebook, and follow along on Twitter and Instagram.

About the Long Beach Public Library Foundation
The Long Beach Public Library Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, provides support to enhance the Main Library and 11 neighborhood branches of the Long Beach Public Library and encourages literacy and education for all members of the community. LBPLfoundation.org 

About Verizon 
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

###