Cox Communications has unveiled a new pilot program with the city of Las Vegas to deploy one of the first Managed Private Networks (MPN) launched by a U.S. city to facilitate Smart City use cases. Together, Cox and the city will leverage Citizens’ Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) to power Smart City solutions that deliver insights into visitor attendance and after-hours activities at a local park (Baker Park, 1010 E. St. Louis Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89104) through parking lot management, safety detection and trend analytics. The learnings from this pilot will empower Cox and Las Vegas to push the boundaries of how networks of the future can be used to scale and support solutions and services.
Leveraging a CBRS private network will allow the city of Las Vegas to ramp up testing and support of smart solutions, beginning with the 12-month pilot program in Baker Park. In a joint effort, Cox’s New Growth & Development team, Cox Business and Cox2M will activate a CBRS network centrally located within the park. The network will deliver the private wireless connectivity needed to deploy a myriad of Smart City and lnternet of Things (IoT) solutions.
The combination of Cox’s existing fiber network with the city’s infrastructure will accelerate the ability to deploy solutions and will provide an ideal path to a long-term, sustainable solution should the pilot prove successful. The CBRS network will initially support video cameras and associated sensors fixed to existing light poles throughout the park. A combination of cameras and radar sensors will be connected to CBRS-enabled wireless bridges that are fed from a central three-sector radio site.
Using Cox’s Smart Communities platform, the city will have access to all data generated in the pilot. This includes historical data on parking lot usage, occupancy, turnover, and it includes real-time event notifications from safety cameras, driving enhanced visibility and public safety. By leveraging this data, the city can strategically send patrols to the park only when needed, improving operations and enabling officers to focus their time elsewhere. These data insights are delivered with privacy in mind; by utilizing a private network solution, the security and reliability of the data transmission is greatly enhanced. Additionally, all confidential, personal, and sensitive data will be encrypted to protect the privacy of park visitors.
“Public safety is the top priority for our residents and the city, and thanks to Cox we are leveraging the technological assets in the community to pilot a new program that can improve the experience at our parks,” Ward 3 Councilwoman Olivia Diaz said. “Data from this system may help us to identify dangerous traffic patterns or other safety issues in and around the park that our team can address.”
“Cox has a long history as a strategic partner with the city of Las Vegas,” said Cox Las Vegas Vice President and Market Leader. “This collaboration helps improve local government services and overall quality of life for residents and positions Las Vegas for future success.”
“Managed Private Network architecture along with CBRS spectrum provide a huge opportunity for both the public and private sectors to gain access to wide-ranging connectivity and to drive smart technology innovation,” Stephen Rusche, senior director, Smart Communities. “This pilot program with Baker Park is another step towards our mission of providing a new level of smart city visibility in Las Vegas and added security for residents to feel safer in their communities.”
This installation further demonstrates the commitment of Cox to be a long-term collaborator to communities of all sizes. Continued investment and collaboration with cities like Las Vegas are what will enable us all to create safer, more livable, and exciting communities.
For more information about Cox Communications’ Smart Communities solutions powered by Cox2M, please visit: www.cox2m.com.
