Cities are becoming smarter by producing greater public-sector efficiencies through sensors, IoT, LTE connectivity, and data analysis. The change of culture and technology is causing towns, cities, counties, and even entire states, to adapt to technologies that help lower costs, increase productivity, and improve citizens’ quality of life.
How Cities are Improving with Network Connectivity
City of Page, Arizona
The City of Page uses Cradlepoint’s 4G LTE routers, NetCloud Manager for central, remote management and fast software updates, and NetCloud Perimeter to bring multiple networks together and advanced security, with stateful firewall and fully encrypted sensitive data.
It was imperative that the city have constant network uptime, but it also required a cost-effective solution. To achieve this, the city offices use wired and 4G LTE cellular connectivity for WAN routing and wired and WiFi connectivity for the LAN and the city’s police vehicles have reliable 4G LTE access from any location.
The city uses SD-Perimeter services for a secure encrypted overlay network, staying completely hidden from anyone not invited to the network as well as visibility into and control of devices that live beyond the routers
“Instead of having to VPN to city hall, then to the fire department, then elsewhere and so on, those locations are both connected to a Virtual Cloud Network through NetCloud, which makes it seamless,” said Kane Scott, IT Director of the City of Page.
Finally, the city can load balance using Cradlepoint routers with dual-SIM slots, which saves money on data usage.
The City of San Antonio, Texas
The City of San Antonio deployed 700+ Cradldpoint’s in-vehicle solutions in 30 days, for their public transit system VIA Metropolitan Transit, with 4G LTE WiFi on their entire fleet of buses, paratransit vans, and facilities, servicing approximately 134,000 passengers each day.
“After the installations, Cradlepoint provided the resources needed to merely flip a switch and offer free, 4G LTE based WiFi to all of our riders instantly,” said Larry Mixon, Acting Vice President of Information Technology for VIA.
Cradlepoint’s solution also provided VIA with the ability to quickly and easily manage and configure the network all at once from one location with NetCloud Manager.
Smart Applications Manage Assets & Resources Efficiently
IT managers in the public arena must also uphold a closely monitored budget. Consequently, IT teams are always looking for ways to leverage technologies for cost efficiencies. By making cities more connected, they are seeing operational savings by using fewer man-hours to complete tasks, lowering truck rolls with real-time visibility into tasks, and reducing the amount of IT resources needed to maintain a network — ultimately saving taxpayer monies.
Smart applications are being used to minimize the use of resources, avoid wastage, and reduce overall costs.
- Utilizing applications to monitor and manipulate water levels remotely via wireless connectivity.
- Using innovative technologies that conserve energy and utility resources, like smart energy grids.
- Environmental data collection for faster and streamlined responses through remote management.
- Deploying wireless technologies to manage the collection, sorting, and disposal of trash.
- Operating automated and responsive controls for building management to reduce staff hours and streamline energy usage.
With mobile connectivity, first responders can react faster and ensure reliable communications to protect their communities.
- Increasing data access, allowing for faster communication.
- Allowing first responders to react faster and health care providers to track patient’s health conditions.
Sensors and wireless connectivity are improving traffic management and maximizing the productivity of taxpayer vehicle fleets.
- Reducing traffic congestion with sensors and wireless connectivity
- Americans spend about 4.2 billion hours stuck in traffic each year.
- Using connected parking systems to alleviate traffic and save people time.
- Inefficient parking represents up to 30 percent of all urban city traffic.
- Mobile connectivity for Point-of-Sale (POS) and WiFi for passengers
- Utilizing 4G LTE connectivity to benefit taxpayer-funded vehicle fleets, such as through alerts about vehicle locations, engine diagnostics, idle time, and fuel levels.
Dispersed city connections and gathered data maximize available information for more accurate planning and help to drive tourism.
- Using more connections at parks and recreation areas to increase the customer experience, such as through digital signage.
Choosing the right solutions for a city’s needs is key in keeping up with the change of technology and citizens’ expectations. 4G LTE wireless connectivity and IoT innovations provide a more cost-effective and efficient network and allow for easier scaling for future network changes. To learn more about Smart Cities and the multitude of possibilities for increasing efficiencies and streamlining work processes, watch our recent Smart Cities webinar: “How Wireless Networking is Evolving Cities, One Connection at a Time”.
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