Technology suppliers have joined forces to brighten Brussels with a city-centric smart lighting system.

Brussels has appointed an integrator to test and approve a group of interoperable suppliers for the city’s smart ambitions and Romanian firm Flashnet’s InteliLight is a part of it.

Less energy waste, reduced carbon emissions, lower maintenance and operational costs are all benefits provided by most smart street lighting providers, but Brussels has decided to go beyond that and has adopted a strategy guided by its needs and future smart integrations.

Sibelga, the utility grid operator in Brussels, has excluded the idea of being dependent on a single supplier. Together with Engie and the city of Brussels, they opted for interoperability, both hardware and software: an ecosystem of different technologies that cooperatively improves the efficiency, security and sustainability of the city, giving Brussels the functionality it needs without compromising the competitive landscape.

This level of diversity will most probably bring more value for money to the municipality and also encourage innovation and ensure long-term availability. The entire system will be adapted to different local conditions, which can improve general functionality and reduce operational costs.

“We are proud that our unique interoperability approach was recognised by Sibelga and the city of Brussels,” said Lorand Mozes, CEO of Flashnet. “Besides proven functionality and security, InteliLight is compatible with diverse IoT communication technologies and integrates seamlessly with other city systems.”

Mozes said that InteliLight’s availability to communicate over NB-IoT was one of the main arguments as it brought carrier-grade security and reliability. Together with other hardware suppliers – Schreder, Itron and the Beezeelinx CMS software – the smart street lighting control produced by Flashnet should provide Brussels with real-time communication and ensure a framework for privacy and trust that facilitates responsible access to data.

With smart city integrations in mind, the EU capital is planning for the future with all the suppliers involved in this project, and setting an example for other European cities in terms of intelligent management of its energy resources.

Flashnet is a tech company with worldwide operations, creating and implementing intelligent systems for smarter cities and better infrastructure. Sibelgais the distribution network operator for electricity and natural gas in the 19 municipalities of Brussels.