Chicago will be the site of another smart city initiative as CIVIQ Smartscapes announced plans to launch a new Wi-Fi powered pilot project.
Milford, Ma.-based CIVIQ will install interactive devices in downtown Chicago that offer high-speed public Wi-Fi.
On top of wireless connectivity, the Waypoint devices will also provide such digital services as wayfinding, safety alerts and interactive information about transportation services.
“Cities across the world are focused on transforming urban landscapes into hyper-connected smartscapes,” said CIVIQ Smartscapes Managing Director of Global Government Development & Innovation George Burciaga. “Connecting smart devices, services and people will allow cities to react to human occurrences in real time, while becoming more efficient and sustainable.”
The devices will also allow direct citizen engagement with the city of Chicago through CIVIQ’s Mobility Experience. This solution allows residents to connect with the city in order to enable municipal staff and elected officials to respond better to pressing issues.
“The City of Chicago and the Mayor are focused on building a safer and smarter Chicago, this technology improves the way residents communicate and is the first step of many within the City of Chicago,” said Alderman Daniel Solis.
Helping the Windy City save cash
The pilot project is part of Chicago’s focus as an AT&T spotlight city under its smart cities framework. The AT&T framework aims to leverage the company’s IoT expertise to help targeted cities save money, preserve natural resources and improve the quality of life for their citizens.
The CIVIQ project follows the recently announced news that AT&T and Chicago are deepening their smart city partnership with a pilot project for smart kiosks and bus shelters.
The telecoms giant announced this expansion of its smart cities work in Chicago at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 in Las Vegas.
As well, AT&T Smart Cities it also revealed it is expanding its presence at O’Hare International Airport beyond its digital displays that show real-time ground transport information.
The airport expansion involves a project that will capture passenger data as they move around the airport to improve customer service.
