IoT Innovations: AT&T and City of San José Helping Close Digital Divide

AT&T and the City of San José are extending their relationship with a deal value of more than a million dollars to help close the digital divide and leverage smart cities solutions to help address some of the critical issues facing the community. This continues to bolster San José’s place as one of the most innovative cities in Silicon Valley.

AT&T is deploying smart cities solutions across 14 parks in San José. This Internet of Things (IoT) technology will help improve lighting quality, expand public safety capabilities, and reduce energy usage across the city. Solutions include:

670 smart lighting controllers and 550 LEDs that will help improve lighting quality, reduce energy costs and decrease environmental impacts.
100+ Wi-Fi extenders to provide public Wi-Fi connectivity.
15 Digital Infrastructure nodes that will help improve public safety.

In addition, AT&T will support the San José community by providing $200,000 to help local community organizations tackle the digital divide. Seniors, youth, and underrepresented groups will benefit from resources, including digital literacy training and access to devices.

"Our public-private partnership with AT&T offers another example of how San José is working collaboratively with companies to improve our community and solve problems with technology," said Sam Liccardo, Mayor of San José. "Together we're working to close the digital divide, improve lighting and public safety in our parks, and minimize our environmental impact along the way."

This collaboration represents one of the many ways cities can utilize new and emerging technologies to create smarter, safer and more sustainable communities.

“By taking a programmatic approach to smart cities deployments, cities can truly optimize their investments in technology,” said Michael Zeto, vice president and general manager of smart cities, AT&T. “Our smart lighting controllers will help San José reduce energy usage and improve efficiencies across the city – a win for the community and the environment.”

Further supporting the San José community and public safety, FirstNet Band 14 spectrum has been deployed in the area. FirstNet – built with AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority – is Public Safety's dedicated, nationwide communications platform. It’s bringing public safety communications into the 21st century with new, innovative capabilities and a faster way to connect to the critical information they need.

AT&T has long been committed to investing in San José and California and using the Internet of Things (IoT) for Good. From 2015 to 2017, AT&T contributed more than $45.8 million through giving programs across the state.