Kansas City’s Lights Really Will Be Bright

In recent years the government of Kansas City, Mo., has launched projects that rely on the Internet to improve particular aspects of city life—avoiding traffic jams, finding a parking spot, and getting a Wi-Fi connection at the local sports arena. Then, in early 2014, networking equipment maker Cisco Systems suggested a more ambitious approach: design a technology platform capable of handling all of those services plus others that have yet to be dreamed up.

The first phase of the 10-year, $15 million project will go into effect in spring, with the installation of 125 “smart” streetlights along the 2.2 mile route of a new streetcar line that will travel through the city’s downtown. Cisco will supply most of the hardware, including some from partners such as Sensity Systems, which makes the sensor modules that will be embedded in the lights. Mobile carrier Sprint will maintain a Wi-Fi network throughout the area to handle the constant stream of data coming off those light poles. Smartphone users and area businesses will be able to tap the free Wi-Fi. The downtown will also be sprinkled with 25 digital kiosks, where visitors can look up information on landmarks and nearby shops and restaurants.