NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council’s ambitious plan to give a smart look to the city has started coming alive with its Smart Pole Project gaining pace. With air sensors, LED lights and free Wi-Fi connectivity, the smart poles mark a futuristic upgrade of street infrastructure in NDMC areas.
In the first phase, 55 smart poles are expected to be installed by March, of which 15 already became operational last December. The first phase will cover areas like Connaught Place, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Sansad Marg, Janpath, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Barakhamba Road and Tolstoy Marg, among others.
“These smart poles are made of stainless steel, have facilities to host microcells for telecommunication for providing 2G/3G/4G services, and hydraulically operated underground cabinet, which is IP65, for hosting telecom equipment and UPS,” said NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar. IP65 enclosures offer complete protection from dust, oil, and other non-corrosive material.
The poles have been designed to provide internal communication infrastructure and have sensors that will provide information regarding air quality.
At each pole, at least 75 simultaneous users would able to access to free Wi-Fi at a minimum speed of one mbps. The poles are designed in a way where a resident can provide an identification number which will be connected to his/her address to access the facilities.
Fitted with CCTV cameras, they will also help upgrade security infrastructure in central Delhi area. “These 9-12 meters-high poles, being installed on private-public-partnership model, will provide a robust coverage of the area with real time data related to environment, traffic, security and other useful information. The CCTV data will be sent to the NDMC control room and would be helpful in responding to situations more efficiently,” NDMC spokesperson M S Sherawat said.
As per the tender, the private company will pay to NDMC Rs 2,655 per month per smart pole. The firm will generate revenue from advertisements on free internet. The electricity consumed for providing service to NDMC for CCTV cameras, LED streetlights and other equipment will be free of cost.
Project highlights
55 smart poles are expected to be installed by March
Each pole will allow at least 75 users to access Wi-Fi service
NDMC to get Rs 2,655 each month per smart pole
The PPP model will be adopted to carry out the project