CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – The city is trying to prepare for the next generation of cell phone service called small cell technology.
Right now, some cell phone towers are put on top of tall buildings like in Myrtle Beach.
In the next several years, providers plan to switch to 5G service. That means much smaller units to provide phone coverage.
In a few years, small cells could be found on utility poles and street lights in Conway.
“What they do is they create a web of cell phone connectivity that allows to boost the signal,” said city administrator Adam Emrick.
Like Myrtle Beach, Conway is also preparing for when companies are ready to put small cell tech in the city.
Emrick is trying to create regulations for where the units can go and how big they can be.
“The last thing we want to do is start throwing up antennas all over the place that kind of destroy that ambiance that we’re going for,” he said. “So this would allow us to do some review of where technology can go and how it looks.”
Emrick says he wants small cells to fit into downtown and the historic district, where many utility lines are underground.
He also says the city needs to act soon, before companies start putting the units almost anywhere.
“We know it’s coming,” said Emrick. “It may get to Conway in a year, it may get to Conway in three or four years, but we know it’s coming and we want to be able to make sure that we’re able to handle it when it comes here.”
The city council discussed regulating small cell tech during a workshop Monday night, but the proposal is still being written.
Coastal Carolina University also expressed an interest in small cells before, but a spokesperson says CCU doesn’t have plans to add any yet.