New tech alliance to deliver smart city solutions

US telecommunications company, AT&T, has launched a series of alliances with other technology companies aimed at providing Internet of Things solutions to cities, with Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas the first to benefit.

Cisco, Deloitte, Ericsson, GE, IBM and Intel have partnered with AT&T to provide smart cities technology across countries where AT&T has a presence–primarily the US and Mexico.

Ericsson’s first contribution to the project is to deliver a connected water project to provide remote monitoring of water quality in city watersheds for the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, which runs past Atlanta.

“Improving sustainability and increasing public safety are already top priorities for the City of Atlanta,” said Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta. “With the integration of AT&T’s Smart City solutions, we will be better positioned to support these initiatives while also enriching the lives of our residents.”

The connected water field trials will utilise a design prototype based on the winning idea from a recent Ericsson-sponsored Technology for Good innovation challenge with university students. AT&T will provide all wireless connectivity for the Internet of Things devices.

Established in 1994, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is an environmental advocacy organisation with more than 7,000 members dedicated solely to protecting and restoring the Chattahoochee River Basin–a drinking water source for nearly 4 million people.

Ericsson spokesperson for industry and society Stephanie Huf told Cities Today: “We envision a world with 50 billion connections where everything that can benefit from being connected will be, helping people, businesses and societies to achieve their full potential.”

The AT&T alliance is also working in Dallas on smart technologies in three areas: infrastructure, mobility and connected living. The City of Dallas teamed up with a whole host of public and private organisations to form the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA) last year. It has been one of the first to receive federal funding from President Obama’s Smart Cities Initiative, which he announced in September.

Dallas Innovation Alliance co-founder Trey Bowles said: “The DIA was established to gather the expertise and perspectives of public, private and academic institutions. By working closely with the mayor, city manager, CIO, key non-profit and industry leaders, we look forward to building a holistic approach to smart cities beginning in the West End Historic District in Downtown Dallas.”

Future efforts could include sensors to capture real-time energy and water use; a green/solar roof initiative; smart parking solutions; improving bike lanes; and adding kiosks with data access.

“We’ve built strong relationships with cities across the US for over 100 years,” said Mike Zeto, General Manager of Smart Cities, AT&T IoT Solutions. “Our holistic strategy can help cities save money, conserve energy, improve quality of life, and further engage with their citizens.”

Other cities to benefit thus far include Chicago, which is using Internet of Things technology for water system sensors, advanced analytics and energy efficiency projects.