New BrightSites smart pole by Signify turbocharges cities’ smart city infrastructure

Digital infrastructure today is important to a city’s economic vitality and quality of life, on par with physical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water pipes. Yet most components of a city’s digital backbone are insufficient to meet the modern connectivity needs of today. 

The new BrightSites smart pole from Signify, provides an all-in-one solution. It accommodates a wide variety of IoT applications, always-on connectivity, cameras and environmental sensors – as well as controllable high-quality energy-efficient LED lighting – while maintaining the integrity of the urban environment.

The new poles, with enhanced IoT capabilities, underscore the evolution of street lighting from being a municipal utility and cost liability, to a potential revenue-earning dynamic data point, wireless connectivity hub, and environmental monitor. This ability to host new services, such as telecommunications and even advertising can generate revenue for municipalities.

“We’ve significantly upgraded our smart pole’s connectivity capabilities, including digital sensors and stronger WiFi for local connectivity. Concealed integrated antennas offer 4G and 5G services from multiple carriers. This delivers on the promise of the smart city of the future – transforming the humble streetlight into a platform for delivering smart city services. A new range of sleek designs allow these poles to match any urban aesthetic,” said Musa Unmehopa, General Manager of Signify’s BrightSites venture.

Some of the plug-in features BrightSites smart poles offer include sensors to provide up-to-the-moment environmental monitoring, such as air quality, noise and incident detection and which collect data to support decisions that can enhance overall livability in urbans areas. Cameras which can observe road conditions to help improve traffic flows, guide maintenance decisions and emergency crew deployment. Smart microphones equipped with advanced pattern recognition which can be triggered by noises associated with anti-social behavior such as shouting, car alarms, breaking glass, or even gunshots. They then automatically brighten the light, record audio and alert emergency services. Display screens which can offer important emergency messaging as well as act as a revenue generator as targeted advertising boards.

BrightSites smart poles have already been installed in cities around the globe, from New Caledonia to San Jose, US to Hospitalet, Spain and are commercially available globally.