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Cities beefing up their smart infrastructure have tapped the ubiquitous streetlamp to track traffic data and measure pollution. Now, in Los Angeles, some streetlights will help keep the communications network intact after an emergency.
LA is the first city in the world to install Philips-branded SmartPoles, which are outfitted with 4G LTE wireless technology by Ericsson to help boost broadband coverage throughout the city. Each pole is connected to the network by a fiber link, which helps keep a steady connection. The location of the poles—which are closer to the streets and sidewalks where people are actually using their phones than central cell towers—gives the network the advantage of being more equally dispersed across the region. That gives people more bars in some of the denser areas of the city, for example.
While better day-to-day cell service is a great feature, the real benefit here in LA is that the system won't be as likely to be knocked out by, I dunno, say, a major earthquake.
It would be more useful if they had solar panels and/or battery packs to self-power when the grid goes down...
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday November 08 2015, @07:16PM
Each pole is connected to the network by a fiber link
I am a little puzzled how fiber is earthquake proof but power is not.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Sunday November 08 2015, @07:37PM
um, the fiber is stretchy...
but back to the closing point in the summary: seems like a perfect application of solar : PV panel in a relatively open area, raised high, could probably orient it to maximize exposure, maybe even using motion detectors to turn on only when needed, and -most importantly- no grid necessary...
(of course, that presupposes a functioning system providing regular maintenance, replacement of spent batts, bulbs, etc...)
i imagine the quisling spies among us would love to piggyback on their miniature eyes of sauron on the light posts as well...\