Smart street lamps in Shanghai offer free WiFi access

The first batch of intelligent street lampposts made their debut in Shanghai on Monday. Not only can the smart lamps adjust their brightness at different times of the night, they can also enable citizens to be better wired to the city.

Fifteen lamps, each 8 meters tall, have been erected along Dagu Road in Jing'an district. Each is equipped with a touch screen and an emergency button. By pressing the button citizens can get immediate access to the city's public service platform which in turn will coordinate the operation with different services.

Other major features include free WiFi access, information inquiry and a charger for electric cars. The features have been selected to offer a public service and safety as well as energy efficiency,

The highlight of the project is that it has integrated resources from all parties to bring about cooperation between them, said Lin Tao, deputy director of the 50th Research Institute of China Electronic Technology Group Corporation. The institute undertook the overall design of the project.

According to Lin, the trial is expected to expand into other areas across the city from the first half of next year. Standards such as the structure and function of the lamps as well as locations will be set based on the outcome of the trial.