Six areas across the UK have been awarded funding to test smart streetlamps that can charge electric vehicles (EVs) and boost wireless coverage.
The £1.3m pilots of the multi-purpose street columns will also be supported with a further £2.7m from the local authorities selected.
The streetlamps can be adapted to carry out a range of functions, from charging EVs to monitoring air quality, and displaying public information to saving energy with street lighting.
The six authorities which will receive government funding through the Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme (SIPP) are:
• Cambridgeshire County Council (£220,000)
• Tees Valley Combined Authority (£202,500)
• Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (£245,700)
• Westminster City Council (£165,000)
• Oxfordshire County Council (£250,000)
• North Ayrshire Council (£242,765)
Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure Sir John Whittingdale said: ‘The way we stay in touch, access information and do business is underpinned by digital connectivity - and a world-class wireless infrastructure will be the foundation for the jobs, skills, and services of the future.
‘We want to ensure that towns and cities across the UK are right at the forefront of this connectivity revolution, ready to seize the opportunities it will bring for local communities, which is exactly what these pilots are about.’
