ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg is the newest Smart Gigabit Community in the country, thanks to a new partnership between Spectrum, US Ignite, the city of St. Petersburg, and St. Pete Innovation District.
- St. Petersburg announced as Smart Gigabit Community, 1st in state
- Program creates access to ultra-fast network, allowing city to incorporate new technology that residents and visitors can benefit from
- Smart Gigabit Community
The goal of the program is to install new technology that will help grow the city. Spectrum, Bay News 9's parent company, is providing a three-year grant to pay for the projects.
US Ignite is a company that helps cities connect with the latest technology. Its "Smart Gigabit Communities" program is currently giving 27 cities across the country access to an ultra-fast network, allowing them to incorporate new technology that residents and visitors can benefit from.
St. Petersburg is the first city in Florida to join the program.
"The program will help St. Pete become an even smarter city than it is today," said Phil Meeks, the Executive Vice President and President of Spectrum Enterprise.
"We're not just going to be a network provider for smart cities; we’ll be providing the entire solution as well, in partnership with other key vendors and technology partners," said Satya Parimi, the Group Vice President of Data Products within Spectrum Enterprise.
During a press conference and panel discussion on Monday, leaders announced the new initiative and detailed how it will help with economic growth in St. Petersburg.
"This is also opening doors for us when it comes to our efforts for sustainability and resiliency," said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.
The first phase of the project will take place in the next few months. New smart light poles will be installed throughout the city. They're designed to save energy, save money, and help keep the community safe.
"We can use maybe cameras on the light poles to detect pedestrians, cyclists and traffic all intermingling together," said Parimi.
The goal for the first part of the project, through that technology, is to find ways to prevent accidents.
"One of the things we can do is just look at the natural dynamics of how people and cars and bikes interact, and then work with the city to figure out how to solve some of the problems,” said Alison Barlow, the Executive Director of St. Pete Innovation District.
The lights will have dimming and brightening capabilities, making it a cost effective and efficient addition to the city.
The project will also explore ways to improve marine science through technology.