As our homes are getting smarter and more connected, why not our cities too, right? At CES earlier this year, AT&T unveiled their plans for the Smart Cities program, and now it looks like the carrier has detailed more of their plans, one of which involves a deal with GE to install Current CityIQ sensors into streetlights.
What’s the point of these sensors? Basically these sensors will be used to help gather information about what’s going on in various cities and municipalities. This includes being able to monitor traffic circulation, parking spots, air quality, weather emergencies, and it can even detect gunshots which could help pinpoint where they come from so that police and first responders know where to go.
Given its ability to monitor and gather data, we’re sure that there are some out there who might be a bit paranoid and worried about what this means for their privacy. However the good news is that it will be completely anonymous, or at least that’s according to Jen Lebron, the spokeswoman for San Diego’s Mayor who told Reuters, “It’s anonymous data with no personal identifiers.”
As Engadget points out, AT&T and GE aren’t the first to try and make cities in the US “smarter”. Last year Las Vegas ran a trial in which a company called EnGoPlanet created sidewalks that could capture kinetic energy from foot traffic to generate power for the city.
Filed in . Read more about AT&T, Connected Objects and IoT (Internet of Things).