Belgian private network provider and industrial connectivity specialist Citymesh has said its smart-city consortium project with the city of Wavre in Belgium has received a €3.9 million grant from the European Digital Fund to build a private 5G network to make the city, a half hour from the EU HQ in Brussels, a greener and smarter city. The funding is from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to support the region’s digital transformation through to 2027.
The consortium project, under the name CONNECTOW, outlines the construction of a city-owned 5G network for “leading-edge use cases and visionary applications”, nominally geared to support local socio-economic drivers (SEDs) and sustainable development goals (SDGs). The city wants “an innovative, greener and more energy-efficient, progressive and connected environment”, a statement said.
The new 5G network will also be available for enterprises, residents, visitors in the local districts of Bierges, Limal, and Wavre. Specifically, it will support smart metering rollout in “all” public buildings by local energy provider Réseau d’Énergies de Wavre (REW), plus IoT monitoring solutions to drive grid modernisation. It will also be used to connect and control autonomous drones with thermal cameras, to provide support to local fire services.
As well, the project remit sets out the provision of “affordable or even free” internet access for under-served citizens and institutions, notably for schools. Event organisers will also have free and unlimited access to WiFi; other use cases include a ‘living lab’ and an experience centre in Wavre’s library, plus IoT sensors for air quality monitoring, traffic management, and waste management.
The 5G network will also be available for high-tech, biotech, and e-gaming companies, plus “agricultural partners” – to “flywheel” the local economy. A new hockey stadium in the city will also make use of it. A statement said: “This unique project in all of its facets will act as a European hub and shall put the city of Wavre on the map internationally.”
Mitch De Geest, chief executive at Citymesh, said: “CONNECTOW will actively seek out projects and use cases for the betterment of all. Since its conception, Citymesh has committed to the use of wireless comms technologies as a means of improving existing models. We have forged the way, challenging the status quo. Thanks to the EU grant and the CONNECTOW project, the demonstration and realisation of certain aspects of that vision are within grasp.”
Anne Masson, Mayor of the city of Wavre, said: “For the past 10 years, the city of Wavre has been fully committed to digital transition. This is a challenge for a public administration. We were the first to offer a digital window to our citizens. We were also the first to develop smart lighting solutions throughout the city. New technologies are an essential means of meeting the expectations of a rapidly changing world.”
