Smart Cities
Smart city development is typically defined as the use of smart initiatives combined to leverage technology investments across an entire city, with common platforms increasing efficiency, data being shared across systems, and IT investments tied to smart missions. By utilizing IoT sensors, actuators, and technology systems, cities now have the potential to more effectively connect components across a city, and in doing so, enhance the services delivered to residents and businesses within that city. With increasing urbanization across the world (60% by 2050) and rapidly growing capabilities of technology, smart city development is exploding. In fact, studies have shown that smart city spending is more than doubling every seven years. The specific elements of a smart city vary from community to community, but some of the leading applications include:
- LED Lighting with Optical Sensors
- Digital Patrol
- Smart Transportation
- Smart Parking
- Environmental Monitoring
- Enhanced GIS Solutions
- Waste Management
Services provided by The Shpigler Group include:
- Developing assessment for smart city efforts
- Developing value proposition for specific smart city use cases
- Supporting the development of public-private partnerships
- Evaluating viability of community broadband networks
- Developing go-to-market strategies for vendors seeking to market to the municipal sector
- Conducting analysis in support of economic development initiatives
Examples of projects completed by The Shpigler Group include:
- Developing a feasibility study on behalf of a community seeking to implement broadband access network. Conducted research on county-wide availability of communications infrastructure and calculated potential demand for broadband services. Conducted financial analysis to determine cost for alternative network architectures as well as value of economic development characteristics associated with network deployment. Performed service offering overview to determine viability and associated benefits of a variety of broadband-enabled applications.
- Conducting study on distributed antenna systems on behalf of Town seeking to limit the proliferation of cell towers. Validated feasibility of alternate system design involving smart antennas working in concert with existing base stations as a response to application submitted by cellular carrier seeking to deploy single-use tower in residential neighborhood. Evaluated technical and economic merits of approach and provided legal, technical, and economic basis for providing counterproposal for network approach.
- Developing comprehensive plan for city-wide communications system. Trained crew for fiber cable management and equipment mounting outside (pole mount units, manage fiber). Provided RF training to field crews for proper placement of radios and antennas in large-scale wireless networks. Established circuit layout record database for accounting of splicing and fiber strand, fiber distribution panel, and opto-electronics facilities.
- Developing business plan for three rural Northeastern counties seeking to develop broadband capabilities in support of economic development. Identified funding levels needed and structural requirements associated with establishing local broadband authority. Calculated expected impact on community that increased data access would provide.
- Delivering organizational workshop to guide strategic “visioning” to municipality. Identified use cases appropriate to the community in the field of Smart City, Smart Grid, and Smart Water programs. Developed framework for proposed city of the future.
- Developing a smart grid and electric vehicle strategy for a municipal utility. Identified key areas of opportunity for electric grid automation and upgrade and developed ten-year guide path to achieving desired goals. Calculated projected impact to electric grid from emerging field of electric vehicles and identified potential operating approaches.
- Project managing smart city test program for municipality. Developed program guidelines for testing of variety of smart city use cases. Developed RFPs for each field and evaluated vendor responses to finalize trial dimensions.
- Developing Smart City plan for investor owned utility. Evaluated 14 distinct programs, including initiatives within grid services, communication network programs, and third-party attachment services. Developed financial model to assess value of program for city-wide demo and ten-year contract and developed pricing for services delivered via the grid.
- Developing Smart City implementation plan to support city-utility partnership model. Sponsored workshop to identify potential programs and develop priorities. Developed detailed roadmap, business case, and operating model to guide development of Smart City effort. Wrote formal implementation plan document to achieve approval from state regulators.
- Conducting analysis of Smart City revenue opportunity for investor owned utility. Developed analysis for various Smart City programs, including considerations for utilization of utility-owned and city-owned infrastructure. Developed complete market analysis covering service territory to evaluate the viability of deploying services in a mixed regulated/unregulated market pursuit across three states.
- Conducting procurement process for Smart City initiative. Issued RFP for smart lighting program, covering LED lighting units, optical controls, communication system, and management platform. Supported all elements of procurement process, including RFP development, legal review, RFP process management, vendor negotiations, and program design. Subsequently initiated RFI process for additional Smart City programs to supplement lighting program.