CASE STUDY
With a population of just under 100,000 people , Erie is the fourth largest city in Pennsylvania . The ‘ Flagship City ’ is located in the northwest corner of the commonwealth , on the southern shore of its namesake lake , and is home to a diverse community and a thriving tourism and events economy . Erie sought to reinvigorate several Opportunity Zones by helping its citizens make these areas more viable for economic development , more productive and ultimately more prosperous .
The key : offering strong , reliable Wi-Fi connectivity for families and businesses who may not ordinarily have access – giving the city tools to disseminate critical information and monetize related services . The desired outcome : empower and engage the people of Erie , fuel city revenues and reinvest back into the community .
The initiative came as the result of a strategic relationship reached between the City of Erie , and lead partner Quantela , a global smart urban infrastructure company .
" Cities worldwide are harnessing the power of technology to reduce traffic congestion , bridge the digital divide , enhance connectivity , promote economic development , fight crime and make local governments more sustainable and resilient ," said Erie Mayor , Joe Schember . " We are excited to partner with Quantela to execute this ambitious project and what it can mean for Erie ' s growth as a center of innovation ."
Quantela has deployed over 40 Smart City projects worldwide and is working locally with the Innovation District and Velocity Network ( VNET ) to provide broadband Wi-Fi access across the target areas in the Opportunity Zones . Quantela is also providing the Quantela 2.0 flagship intelligence platform to deliver actionable insights to the city that would help reduce costs for the delivery of urban services and improve revenue . Now , a Wi-Fi on-boarding platform needed to be selected . include smart lighting and parking , Wi-Fi activation , digital signage , and safety and security .
“ For most cities facing straining budgets and reduced resources , you need solutions that can help manage and pay for themselves ,” said Olsen . “ You need to be able to provide essential services and support local businesses . And you have to do so at a low entry cost .”
Erie , Pennsylvania , was an ideal city to take advantage of such solutions . In addition to its 98,000 residents in the city and a total of 400,000 people in the surrounding region , Erie also plays host to at least 30 events a year that collectively attract just as many people to the area . From the arts and outdoor activities on the Great Lakes to sporting events and expeditions through its wine country , Erie was ripe with opportunities for revenue generation .
When Quantela needed to find the right Wi-Fi portal partner , they turned to Kloudspot and its flexible Situational Awareness and Analytics platform to deliver the ‘ Position-as-a-Service ’ features needed to realize Erie ’ s Smart City potential .
“ Kloudspot ’ s platform adds additional value to our Quantela 2.0 Smart City urban services solution and for the City of Erie ,” he said .
“ With Kloudspot , we can do much more than deliver Wi-Fi services and traditional digital advertising programs . We can localize news and weather , which are both monetizable for ad revenue . We can serve real-time offers from nearby businesses .
“ We can link to the city ’ s website and enable everything from safety alerts to payment for city services such as waste and recycling . All of this will pay back the tech investment and create revenue streams for the city itself .”
A smarter , safer , more equitable community
Choosing the platform for growth and greater prosperity
As Vice President of Outcome-Based Funding at Quantela , Ed Olsen has made it his mission to find and fund environmental , social and governance ( ESG ) projects that can use technology to deliver greater savings and generate revenue .
Olsen can offer Quantela ’ s Smart City stack of technologies that work together for that purpose , helping cities create better outcomes for their citizens with selfsustaining initiatives that don ’ t require significant capital outlay and ultimately pay for themselves . These solutions
Building on Kloudspot ’ s breakthrough Situational Awareness and Analytics platform , Quantela and Erie successfully soft launched the first phase of its Smart City program in July 2020 with 10 access points in the downtown area .
Kloudspot ’ s technology is enabling Erie to provide the community essential COVID-19 updates , give access to the city ’ s essential services , and drive sales for local shops and restaurants when they need them most . When people sign into the Wi-Fi , they are greeted with far more than a simple opt-in ; they ’ re given a broad experience that enables users to receive highly targeted information and localized offers .
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