EU Smart City Goal: 10 Million Smart Lampposts across EU Cities

The Internet-of-Things (IOT) trend is growing rapidly in many fields including towns and cities throughout the world.

The EU has an initiative underway to re-invent the concept of a lamppost to deliver new services at a lower cost: A Dozen things to do with a Lamppost that has nothing to with light

“In addition, the initiative will exploit this city-wide infrastructure to deliver new value-added services: i.e. multi-purpose the asset to increase savings; deliver better services; and offer additional revenue potential for cities. This provides a compelling financial case to act, and opens the opportunity to multi-purpose the lamppost to provide smart services.”

Simon & Garfunkel released the “The 59th Street Bridge Song” in 1966 including this remarkable line:

“Hello, lamppost, what’cha knowin’?”

From the World Economic Forum Article:

In London and Bristol, UK company Hello Lamp Post has pioneered a playful approach to smart lampposts. Citizens are invited to conduct conversations with lampposts and other street furniture by SMS text, using the object’s identification number. The lampposts in the trial were programmed to ask questions about their surroundings and to engage people in conversations. In London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, they asked passersby about their favorite Olympians.

The EU project team says cities should think of their lampposts as “a regularly-spaced network of elevated posts with power throughout the city that can help transform the efficiency and effectiveness of city services, rather than just poles to hang lightbulbs on.”