Looking For An Outdoor Hotspot Option For An IT Solution? Consider Smart Garbage Cans
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
New York City may be converting solar-powered smart trash cans into Wi-Fi hotspots, particularly in under-served neighborhoods, according to Popular Science.
Massachusetts company Bigbelly, which provides the smart trash cans, has applied to the NYC Mayor’s office for a grant to fund the hotspots. The solar smart bins now detect when garbage odors reach unacceptable levels, notify trash collectors, and even compress their contents when there are nearing capacity. Bigbelly wants to use them to provide Internet access as well.
Two hotspot containers were tested last winter in New York, and the devices will have speeds that reach up to 75 megabits per second, according to Jeremy Schneider of Downtown Alliance. That’s enough to power a small business.
“One of the biggest challenges in implementing free Wi-Fi is how to provide power to our access points,” Downtown Alliance CTO Jeremy Schneider told GizMag. “Our idea was to work with Bigbelly to take advantage of the solar power capability they already have to power our access points. This pilot project has shown that Bigbelly can power an access point for a significant portion of the day.”
In addition to providing free Internet access, the smart cans can also display public announcements and alerts, or serve as digital billboards, just like the payphone hotspots NYC piloted in 2014.
The solution can accomplish all of this without altering the streetscape. Leila Dillon, VP of marketing for Bigbelly commented to Gizmag, “One thing that cities and towns don't want to do is add more unnecessary infrastructure. Poles and towers add more cost, are unsightly, and can be a challenge to service and maintain."
If Bigbelly gets the funding they have requested, the hotspots could be rolled out as soon as this fall. There are currently more than 170 of the solar-powered smart trash cans in downtown Manhattan, according to the Huffington Post.
Bigbelly is focused on further developing their solar-powered trash bins. “Some of the other things that we’re looking at are being able to track urban intelligence data,” added Dillon. “Also things like footfall, pollution levels, radiation levels, and many other services, applications, and benefits to this core city infrastructure that every city and town has and needs.”