Kingston Partners With Bell On One-Year Pilot of IoT Technologies

The city of Kingston, Ontario is partnering with telecommunications provider Bell in a one-year pilot project to deploy digital kiosks and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications throughout the city.

“The idea of this partnership is to have an opportunity to run pilots, so to try out different technologies and different applications for technology that can be used in other cities” says Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson.

Civiq Smartscapes is manufacturing an initial five kiosks, which Bell will ship, install, and connect by May 1 of this year, then manage, maintain, and replace as needed in the future. The 55-inch units – about the size of an ATM – will feature Wi-Fi access, real-time event updates, cell phone charging stations, tourism promotions, city information, 911 emergency buttons, and remotely managed video cameras.

“I think these kiosks are one great example of how we can use technology to improve services for residents and for visitors and I think there is going to be other opportunities to be able to develop new technologies out of this partnership” says Patterson. “This technology will put Kingston on the map as a leading ‘smart city,’ which uses technology and data to improve livability and opportunities for its people.”

Supported by Bell’s fiber and wireless broadband networks, the Smart City platform will aggregate data from numerous IoT monitoring solutions coupled with the city’s open data to provide municipal staff with a digital dashboard containing a consolidated, city-wide view of municipal operations. It is expected that The Smart City platform will enable Kingston to digitize its operations and collect data to make better informed decisions and investments in city operations and infrastructure.

“Bell is proud to partner with a technology and innovation leader like Kingston to realize the benefits of the Smart City,” said Bell Senior Vice President Gary Semplonius. “The Smart City platform will offer city staff a comprehensive and consolidated view of connected city services supporting better operating efficiencies, cost savings and improved services for Kingston residents, businesses and visitors.”