Smart City IoT specialist Zyter and Qualcomm are partnering to provide a fixed wireless broadband network called the “Planted Circle” in underserved communities of Dallas County to improve accessibility to education, healthcare, emergency services, businesses and more. Funding for the project is being provided by wireless internet service provider CircleGx.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, just over 28% of Dallas households have no Internet access and the city has the second worst household connection rate among the country’s ten largest cities, only behind Philadelphia.

The network will provide enhanced internet access for Dallas residents, underserved cities and communities across the state, government of the State of Texas, the City of Dallas and other neighbouring local governments.

The three companies are collaborating to build broadband infrastructure in Dallas County communities in an effort to drive accessibility for use across education, healthcare, emergency services, businesses and more.

Circle Gx will be deploying a fixed wireless broadband network called the “Planted Circle” in communities of Dallas County, Texas. The network will initially begin with the deployment of more than 20 LTE CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) cell sites powered by Qualcomm RAN Platforms, and will include smart lighting, with both outdoor and indoor CPEs featuring a Qualcomm Fixed Wireless Access Platform, with a potential path to 5G in the future. The funding for this project is provided by CircleGx.

In the “Planted Circle” project, Zyter will deploy, manage, monitor, and operate the city’s private fixed wireless broadband network on the Zyter SmartSpaces Internet of Things (IoT)- platform. As a key collaborator with Qualcomm Technologies for the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program ecosystem, the SmartSpaces platform breaks down silos of information by integrating and consolidating data from IoT devices and applications in a seamless interface. 

Digital smart lights and sensor platforms for Smart Cities, provided by Juganu, come equipped with Qualcomm Technologies’ LTE infrastructure components designed to transform each light into a mobile hotspot, so that Dallas citizens may have a strong data connection virtually everywhere they go in the community. The smart lights are built with citizen safety in mind. For example, each light will change colour in the event of an emergency call so that the lights can guide first responders to the exact location of the person in need.

According to the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, more than 42 million American households lack access to the internet, and the pandemic brought the need for accelerated digital transformation to centre stage, emphasising that connectivity technologies such as internet access, are critical to closing the digital divide and increasing digital equity in communities. The creation of the next generation network is planned to support local Dallas County consumers and businesses, by helping to make affordable and accessible broadband services available.

“Dallas County is committed to close the digital broadband gap, especially in Southern Dallas County. I am personally pleased to see the potential progress towards more equitable broadband access,” said John Wiley Price, Dallas County Commissioner. “We are pleased to welcome the investment of CircleGx and the contributions from Qualcomm Technologies and Zyter, and look forward to seeing success in bringing broadband infrastructure to Dallas County.”

“42% of Dallas residents lack access to broadband services and it is imperative that we work together for solutions that unlock economic opportunities in underserved areas,” said Carolyn King Arnold, Dallas County Council member. “I am pleased to welcome Circle Gx and Qualcomm Technologies to support the rollout to 20 new sites that can serve up to 40,000 households in underserved areas in the City of Dallas. The collaborative efforts of our office with contributions from companies like Circle Gx, Zyter and Qualcomm Technologies will support opportunities and drive equitable innovation in our community.” 

“We are pleased to be supporting CircleGx and Zyter as they rollout critical infrastructure and solutions in Dallas County, Texas, which will prove transformational for city residents and business’, helping to make connectivity accessible and equitable across the community,” said Sanjeet Pandit, senior director, business development and global head of Smart Cities, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This project is as an example of what communities can replicate when collaborating with the 400+ ecosystem members in the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program and I expect these integral end-to-end solutions to be a key part of future city infrastructure rollouts.”

“The digital divide adversely impacts consumers and businesses’ ability to maximise their potential. We will deliver affordable access to 5G network technologies, empowering our communities by driving broadband access, financial service innovations, education and security”, said Peter C. Goodwin, CircleGx Founder and CEO. “Affordable connectivity benefits the greater good.”

“Today, internet connectivity is a basic requirement of everyday life to support hybrid-work environments and online delivery of services for digital healthcare, education, entertainment, shopping, and more,” said Sanjay Govil, founder and chief executive officer, Zyter, Inc. “Zyter is proud to collaborate with CircleGx and Qualcomm Technologies in bridging the digital gap by making broadband more accessible and affordable for all homes and businesses in the Dallas metro area. The Zyter SmartSpaces platform will also provide an IoT-enabled connectivity backbone for the city’s smart infrastructure as it evolves in the future.”