2.4.2.1 Douala, Cameroon[xxvi]- Street Lighting Wi-Fi Public Security Initiative

In Douala, Cameroon, a pilot project (StarSight) is underway to provide street lighting using pylons that are powered by solar panels, networked using wireless technology and connected to a Network Operation Centre (NOC) that controls the operation of the entire system. This type of pilot is significant for a number of reasons.  From a public safety perspective, a study by the Government of Kenya has shown that street lighting can reduce street crime by 65%.  These pylons could also be equipped with CCTV cameras, early warning systems or pollution monitors.

This StarSight (www.starsightproject.com) project is being undertaken by the London-based Kolam Partnership and Nex-G Systems, a Singapore based company specialising in wireless applications.  The StarSight system will cost about the same to install as a conventional lighting system and has the advantage of requiring no underground cabling and providing both electric power and wireless Internet capability.

The intention is to also establish a series of Internet cafes using the wireless Internet access that will be provided by the planned 200-pylon network.  These cafes can be used to provide training courses to give local people the opportunity to upgrade their information technology skills.

An additional benefit is that each of the pylons can be fitted with a power outlet at the base that could allow the excess power to be sold to night-time street vendors for lighting and cooking rather than using paraffin lamps, which would reduce carbon emissions.

2.4.2.2 New Orleans, Louisiana – Video Surveillance[xxvii]

In a similar bid to make city streets safer, the City of New Orleans in 2004 undertook a pilot project to install a Wi-Fi mesh network video-surveillance system in an effort to reduce criminal activity in areas that had high incidents of crime.  One of the main advantages of this type of system is that it uses IP-based digital video cameras that instantaneously transmit the images by wireless to a computer at police headquarters.

During the pilot stage, the area equipped with the video surveillance system reported 57% fewer murders and 30% less car thefts than from the same period during 2003.

2.4.2.3 Other Examples of Municipal Public Safety Applications

Several cities are beginning to use broadband wireless networks for traffic management. The City of Pleasanton, California, has deployed a Wi-Fi network that links video cameras placed at major intersections to the traffic management operations facility.  This will allow the City to monitor and manage traffic flow and deal with accidents.  Las Vegas, Nevada, is piloting a similar type of system.

Tucson, Arizona is also in the process of deploying a wireless mesh network that will be used primarily for traffic management through monitoring and managing the road networks throughout the City. An additional application that will be piloted is in the area of telemedicine through a project called Emergency Room Link (ER-LINK).  This is designed to provide the capability to transmit patient information between ambulances and the University Medical Trauma Center Emergency Room.  This could include live video of the condition of the patient, vital statistics including blood pressure and other readings, electrocardiograms, and other primary care information that would prepare the Emergency Room for the patient.[xxviii]

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