AT&T and JBG SMITH, an S&P 400 company that develops a dynamic portfolio of high-growth mixed-use properties in and around Washington, DC, have entered into a letter of intent to deliver the first 5G smart city at scale in National Landing, Virginia’s largest downtown area.
During the first half of 2022, the first network infrastructure deployments are planned to be done. National Landing is ideal to be a prototype for smart cities of the future. JBG SMITH’s National Landing portfolio spanning 6.8 million square feet of existing office space and 2,856 residential units is ideal for mobility and self-driving vehicles, immersive retail and entertainment, automation, and environmental sustainability.
“The development of 5G, AI, cloud, and edge technologies is helping usher in the next level of how technology can improve lives,” said Mo Katibeh, who leads AT&T’s Network Infrastructure and Build. “Together with JBG SMITH, we intend to build a true smart city from the ground up that will allow future innovators to use AT&T’s network to unlock new capabilities through city-wide edge solutions that can serve specific business locations and everyday users at home or on the go. This includes enabling immersive virtual and augmented reality and the massive IoT connections that will become a hallmark of National Landing as the most connected city in the country.”
Thanks to its large and growing portfolio of diverse assets and open spaces in National Landing, JBG SMITH is uniquely positioned to support the ongoing rollout of AT&T’s fast, reliable, and secure 5G network. An interconnected series of building side-mounts, street furniture, and underground network infrastructure can make use of mmWave and sub6 5G spectrum. As a result, this robust technology infrastructure is expected to give businesses, residents, and visitors the opportunity to be connected in near real-time, transforming engagement and experiences.
Its proximity to Capitol Hill, the White House, Amazon, Virginia Tech, and the Pentagon, would also give an opportunity to showcase how a 5G network and an open, interoperable technology ecosystem can unlock innovation for industry and government alike.
US Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) said, “I am thrilled to see this collaboration of leading private sector organizations to promote 5G deployment. American competitiveness in the deployment of 5G networks – and innovation in the emerging technologies 5G unlocks – remain key to our national and economic security interest. As a proud Virginian, I am excited to see National Landing emerge as our first 5G community – and I look forward to wider deployment across the Commonwealth. This collaboration can be a blueprint for how digital infrastructure is deployed, and I am heartened by the prospects of the innovation this may unlock to advance our country’s competitiveness globally.”
Matt Kelly, CEO at JBG SMITH, added, “The goal of this collaboration with AT&T is to further enhance National Landing and create the only neighborhood that provides entrepreneurs, universities, and global technology companies the digital infrastructure necessary to shape the future of their industries. We want to equip innovators with the foundational amenities to revolutionize the way they work, giving them an edge above their competition and the confidence to choose National Landing as their home to ideate and innovate locally – and scale globally.”