Trash cans in New York have always been smart, and now they will be transformed into WiFi hotspots.
BigBelly, a Massachusetts-based waste management company, has applied for a grant to convert NYC's solar-powered trash cans into hotspots.
The Wi-Fi trash can project began in Manhattan, where over 170 BigBelly solar-powered units have already been in place.
Each trash container contains a chip that detects if it's already smelly or full of trash, prompting trash collectors to perform a pick-up.
However, it appears that the already-smart trash cans still have more potential.
BigBelly has collaborated with NYC's Downtown Alliance last winter to execute the plan on hotpsot trash cans, which assured connection speeds of 50 to 75 megabits per second.
The bins were tested for a few hours each day, taking into account the quality of the connection and the number of people who join the network.
According to Jeremy Schneider, chief technology officer of the alliance, the tests showed promising results, the report from Huffington Post stated.
The speed and bandwidth were high enough that it could be suitable for a small business.
Being placed inside trashcans, the hotspot signal was not affected. BigBelly units are placed on street level, which is why no interference from the tall skyscrapers was recorded.
Having free Wi-Fi connection may seem to be the biggest benefit BigBelly units can offer, but there's more.
The bins can also provide the government information about waste management and become a spot for alerts and public service announcements, reports stated.
NYC has a problem of overflowing trash as reported in CityLab. It stated that trash bags can accumulate along the sidewalks. Given this, the Wi-Fi trash can project will surely provide convenience and relief for the millions of residents and visitors in the city.
BigBelly plans to conduct more tests on the trash cans and if their grant application gets approved, the Wi-Fi trash cans will hit the streets as soon as fall.
