Smart City
A smart city is meticulous regarding the high level of service it offers its residents, it uses the city’s existing data to best utilize its resources and make the optimal decisions for its residents and the future of the city. A smart city anticipates and initiates solutions to problems and has the ability to efficiently cope with various emergency situations. Among all of its abilities, the smart city utilizes technologies to improve services for its residents such as free internet access throughout the city, accessibility to services via the internet, a communications center available to receive residents’ petitions and complaints, enhancing internal means of communication among the various municipality factors, etc.
From the environmental aspect the smart city strives to use its available resources in the best possible manner, to preserve the quality of the environment and its residents’ health while placing an emphasis on high-standard services for its residents. For the most part, all of these activities are carried out while maintaining a balance between the financial, social and environmental costs.
Or Yehuda – A Smart City
The municipality of Or Yehuda has set a goal for itself to become a smart city that will provide its residents with the highest standards of service, availability and efficiency. In 2017, after carrying out a comprehensive study and mapping of the city, the municipality commenced with a process whose main focus was on technology and establishing a strong and advanced infrastructure for a smart city, on which additional systems would later be based to provide the best possible service for its residents.
Internet Communication Between Municipal Sites
Differing from the conventional mode of thought that indicates laying optic fibers as the optimal solution for communication, Or Yehuda chose a different, innovative and ground-breaking approach known as millimeter wave technology (EHF). This is a wireless method of transmission that dramatically increases the transmission rate accepted in WIFI systems used today. Each one of these wireless ‘arteries’ is similar- from the aspect of data transmission rate and reliability of data transfer- to laying an optic fiber between two points. A survey of locations, with a modern drone, produced a precise map linking all municipal sites to the municipal headquarters and the Emergency Situation Room via wireless arteries. Establishing a municipal communications system based on the millimeter wave technology significantly lowers costs for the municipality for wireless communication suppliers and telephony. It enables the municipality exclusive control of an integrated communications system, without depending on external suppliers. It also enables transmission of data directly and immediately to all the municipal units. Upon conclusion of setting up the equipment, free wi-fi access is available in public buildings, parks and public gardens throughout the entire city.
Security Surveillance Camera Network
Security surveillance cameras will cover the city in a wider scope and will transfer data of high quality, in real-time to the municipal headquarters. Hence the city will be able to provide residents with a more secure environment and a quick response to any incident that may occur, in all areas of the city. This modern internet surveillance network will enable a simple and quick layout, and with minimal costs to the city.
Smart Street Lighting
Beyond energy efficiency and significant savings, smart lighting enables direct control of every light in the city through a control system. This system enables the decision to turn lights on and off and even to dim them, according to requirements. This extensive control enables the prevention of unwanted gatherings during late hours, such as in public parks and areas, by dimming or turning off the lights at a certain time and vice versa. The system enables the illumination of an area in the event of an incident or disturbance, if required.
Cloud Telephone Switchboard
The new telephony system will coordinate all data activity for all municipal bodies. From kindergartens and day care centers, to schools, municipal departments and headquarters. The new integrated network will minimize communication costs along with an extremely high level of service, mainly for those units and bodies situated further away from the municipal headquarters. One of the services that will be upgraded in the initial stages of the projects is the municipality’s internal telephone system. All municipal bodies will be installed with more advanced telephones with a broad range of options and abilities. Most importantly, all departments will be in the same system directory. This is another small step toward improving internal services and the municipality’s competence, the result of which will lead to an increase in the standards of service for residents.