Now, Trash Cans Provide Faster Internet Than Starbucks
Trash cans or dustbins are normally used to dump waste in, it is then, taken out and recycled or disintegrated. Trash cans are extremely vital for the modern concept of ‘a clean city is a healthy city’. Bigbelly, a New York Based firm, recognized as an industry leader in waste management, environmental, and innovative technology spaces, announced the use of their new smart-cans. As an initial test New York’s Downtown Alliance have already taken two trashcans to turn them into Wi-Fi hotspots.
Image Source: Gizmo
Bigbelly’s main aim was to create the best-possible waste-management system and it started off with the solar-powered recycling bins, which allowed the bins to collect five times more trash before needing to be emptied.
The idea of the ‘smart-can’ dawned on them when they realised that their cloud-based connectivity, could provide additional services, such a free public Wi-Fi with the use of a wireless repeater installed on the bottom of each station.
These Wi-Fi spots provide browsing speed up to at least 75mbps and can function smoothly, as long as there is no obstruction between the bin and the user. Which according to DigitalTrends is more than what Starbucks with 9Mbps can say for itself.The Wi-Fi service is free and runs solely on advertising revenue.The plan being to add more of these trash-cans soon with the focus on under privileged areas.
Leila Dillon, Bigbelly’s vice president of global marketing, told CityLab,
“We are a smart, solar-powered, connected technology platform that is literally sitting in the streets of New York. We are exactly where the people are.”
And as reported by Gizmo they also plan on tracking urban intelligence data to provide services, applications and benefits to “core city infrastructure that every city and town has and needs.”
Will the cities and towns become smarter with such new innovations? Let us know what you think.
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