Bristol Is Open, which is run by the University of Bristol and the local authority, is designed to explore how integrated technology can benefit those that live in the city. It does this by turning Bristol into a city-wide ‘test bed’, with featured areas of work including traffic congestion, air pollution, assisted living for the elderly and self-driving car trials.
Nokia is providing a consulting service, with its IP networking division offering network and infrastructure support. The company has also offered the use of its application ecosystem program ngConnect. Via the project, Nokia is aiming to test a range of applications, with the first focusing on video analytics in relation to the city’s 1,700 CCTV cameras.
Speaking of the collaboration, Bristol is Open CEO Barney Smith said: "We are delighted that Nokia has accepted our invitation to join Bristol Is Open. Building on the excellent relationship we already have with Nokia Bell Labs, the skills and experience that Nokia has will enable us to take BIO to the next stage of its development.”
Head of Nokia UK and Ireland at Nokia Cormac Whelan said: "This demonstrates the applicability of Nokia's technology to the emerging smart cities market, which is part of the continuing focus of our dedicated teams in government, enterprise and public sector."
The project is funded by local and national government and the European Union, alongside academic research funding and backing from the private sector.
Photo by Luke Andrew Scowen
