Notice

Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme: successful projects

Published 20 September 2023

Cambridgeshire County Council (East)

Funding amount: £220,000

Cambridgeshire County Council’s digital connectivity programme Connecting Cambridgeshire is excited to be leading this project to design and deploy smart poles in the region. Their goal is to support digital progress in their area, and they are focused on making it easier and more cost-effective to set up telecoms equipment to enhance connectivity.

Ensuring that telecoms equipment can be installed and deployed in a more commercially viable way to boost connectivity is a key priority within Cambridgeshire’s digital strategy and supports the region’s digital ambitions. Future-proofing street furniture to meet anticipated needs will play a key role in reducing costs and timeframes to deploy telecoms equipment and speed up investment. Installing smart poles will improve connectivity by providing local authorities with a platform to deploy their smart city infrastructure.

Their project team consists of highly qualified partners in local government and expert neutral host, smart technology and EV charging providers. Together the team will collaboratively design, deliver and test a range of smart poles capable of hosting a variety of equipment.

North Ayrshire Council (Scotland)

Funding amount: £242,765

North Ayrshire Council aims to create a digitally advanced waterfront destination that drives economic growth and enhances the quality of life for residents and their visitor experience.

The proposal integrates advanced technologies, including wireless, 5G, and intelligent systems, to revolutionise digital connectivity and foster innovation. With a focus on advanced traffic and visitor management, waste solutions, public safety, and connectivity infrastructure, they aim to create a sustainable and inclusive environment.

At the core of their vision is the transformation of Irvine Harbour into a digitally advanced waterfront destination. By reconnecting the town centre to the beach, celebrating its maritime and natural heritage, and promoting active travel, they will create a destination that captivates visitors and maximises the potential of the local community.

A pivotal aspect of their proposal is 5G technology, a catalyst for faster, reliable connectivity for enhanced communication, IoT, and data-driven decision-making. This project positions North Ayrshire as a competitive digital hub, attracting investments and enhancing connectivity, making it a smart, connected place.

Oxfordshire County Council (South East)

Funding amount: £250,000

Oxfordshire County Council, in collaboration with Zeta Specialist Lighting (Zeta) and Virgin Media/O2 (VMO2), will look to procure and install 10 smart poles throughout Oxfordshire, a measure that aligns with the government’s strategy to incorporate advanced wireless infrastructure into the societal fabric by 2030.

This scheme is intended to supplement the council’s current project, ‘Freshwave Small Cell Deployment Scheme’. The introduction of the additional multi-purpose smart poles will not only enhance 5G and other advanced wireless connectivity across the county but will also support an array of practical applications. These include providing enhanced digital communications, supporting (Closed Circuit Television) CCTV infrastructure, and enabling a variety of IoT sensors.

The matched funding requirement will be fulfilled by Zeta Specialist Lighting contributing £181,350, with Oxfordshire County Council providing the balance. Deployment of these smart poles demonstrates the local authority’s commitment to fostering a competitive and innovative digital economy. It embodies a progressive step towards realising the broader benefits of advanced connectivity for local communities and businesses. This move places Oxfordshire at the forefront of the digital transformation, paving the way for a connected and sustainable future.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (London)

Funding amount: £245,700

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames will test the procurement, installation and multiple use cases via the deployment of smart multi-purpose columns. Considered within the pilot are the following use cases: small cells for enhancing mobile connectivity, sensors and cameras to monitor road usage, footfall, air quality, and CCTV.

This will help prove the benefits and feasibility of smart multi-purpose columns, developing the supplier and partner network to fulfil the design/delivery. It will define and output the use case specific design and implementation requirements, with a view to deliver a robust model of deployment, suitable for future scaled roll out, as well as benefits realisation, when delivering enhanced wireless connectivity and CCTV capabilities; during and beyond the trial.

Tees Valley Combined Authority (North East)

Funding amount: £202,500

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) are leading a pilot to install multi-purpose smart columns which will be installed in 2 phases:

1. Teesside International Airport where connection to the existing 5G network will be tested. Columns will provide smart lighting, CCTV, traffic counters, environmental monitors and smart screens, providing access to smart technology for passengers and visitors.
2. Hartlepool Mayoral Development Corporation (route from Hartlepool Railway Station to Hartlepool Marina). The columns will incorporate 5G small cells, smart screens, smart street lighting, environmental monitors, traffic counters and CCTV and will complement the Hartlepool waterfront connectivity project that is being undertaken as part of Hartlepool Town Deal to deliver improvements to the route between the waterfront and railway station.

This pilot is designed to trial the procurement, installation and added use cases of smart multi-purpose columns.

TVCA are supported by private neutral host partners Dense Air in this bid. Dense Air lead several DSIT projects, developing innovative and smart 4G and 5G technology and have recently deployed the Coordinated Multipoint Open Radio Access Network (CoMP-O-RAN) Component Test 5G Network at Teesside International Airport. This existing network will support the test and trials of smart infrastructure for this pilot and supports the region’s digital initiative.

Westminster City Council (London)

Funding amount: £165,000

Westminster City Council, working with Ontix, will be testing multi-functional smart lamp columns. The smart lamp columns will have enhanced foundations and power capacity to support the additional weight and power requirements of multiple smart use cases. The use cases include; Fixed wireless access to provide wireless broadband, small cells to improve mobile connectivity, EV charging infrastructure, air quality monitors, vehicle counting cameras and enforcement cameras.