South Bay Fiber Network

Examples of “Smart Cities” Applications 

The South Bay Fiber Network is the broadband technological foundation that allows for the high-speed movement and processing of data—often very large amounts. In the context of municipal use, the term commonly used to describe the opportunities that result from the use of a broadband network are “Smart City” applications. The SBFN provides cities of the South Bay with additional broadband capacity to support current and future data-driven applications for the municipal services they provide.   

South Bay cities, large and small, are using the SBFN in important and creative ways that provide efficiencies for their public services. Deployment of “smart” applications will result in positive sustainability outcomes for South Bay communities and the region, at large. A sampling of applications include: 

• Cities like Rolling Hills, Gardena, and Lomita have deployed broadband to community centers and parks that allows for public access to the internet as well as opportunities to support after-school programming.
• Inglewood is an example of a South Bay city that uses broadband to move data generated by sensors in the road and video cameras at intersections. The city can coordinate and move traffic along the major roads leading to SoFi stadium—home of two NFL Teams, Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. The opportunity realized through synchronized traffic signals helps to reduce congestion and mitigate Green House Gas (GHG) emissions within the community through the more efficient movement of cars in and out of the stadium events.  
• The pandemic has created a “new normal” for how work gets accomplished by cities and public agencies in the South Bay. Many organizations have deployed the use of virtual private networks (VPN), to provide fast and secure opportunities for telework and video conferencing. Often, cities and agencies of the South Bay have taken to using virtual “cloud-based” computing platforms and software. Typically, these types of applications are called SaaS (Software as a Service). Microsoft 365 is a commonly used service that is hosted in the cloud (a data center) providing access and use, individually and collaboratively, on multiple platforms through the web. 
• Over the course of the pandemic, South Bay cities began to explore and adapt to facilitating and providing online services. The range of virtual city services is varied and continues to grow. Examples include the city of Gardena’s virtual City Hall that was piloted during the pandemic. Today, Gardena’s pilot project has evolved to provide a suite of online services accessible at kiosks located in different city locations or via the web. Other examples include the City of  Redondo Beach’s customer service portal where residents may virtually file online concerns directed by department or issue for immediate follow-up. Other cities, like Rancho Palos Verdes, have moved their building and safety and business licensing process online providing virtual service via their “eTrakit” portal. In the years to come, virtual presence and services are anticipated to evolve and grow as South Bay cities look for creative efficiencies to provide municipal services.  
• Non-governmental agencies like the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB) and Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) offer training through tele-education. With seven locations across the South Bay, the SBWIB, offers online programs as well as real-time satellite workshops easily accessible through fast and reliable gigabyte service over the SBFN. Similarly, the BCHD, over the course of the pandemic was able to continue programming for seniors and other communities through online video workshops and meetings.