Many cities strive to be future-ready to achieve a sustainable and smart environment for their current and future businesses, residents, and visitors, but how exactly do you make a city future-ready?

With all the excitement around new and emerging technologies of 5G, WiFi 6 and CBRS, it can be difficult to understand if these technologies compete or work with one another. To put it simply, these technologies complement each other, and each serve their own purposes to create a synergistic and smart building, community, or city.

Related: THE TIMELINE TO 5G.

In late February, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an emergency subsidy to help bridge the digital divide for low-income families during the pandemic. The Emergency Broadband Benefit program will bring affordable Internet service to households for distance working, virtual learning, and critical telehealth care.

While 2020 was a difficult year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the technological advancements were accelerated to meet the new demands that the coronavirus brought. Industry experts state that this momentum will continue in 2021 with smart cities at the core.

The term "smart building" has been tossed around a lot lately, but what exactly makes a building smart? The most basic function of a smart building is that the features (water meters, pumps, fire alarms, power, lighting) within it are linked and "talk" to one another. This technology both optimizes building performance by automating multiple processes, such as heating, cooling, and security, and significantly reduces building overheads through intelligent application. Owners and developers are motivated by the improvement to the environment and their bottom-line.

At Converged Services, we are unique in that we have two in-house project managers dedicated to our clients and their success. Nir Michaeli and Marcel Korman are assets to Converged Services and bring value to any project.

With a recent surge across the U.S. in COVID-19 cases, it is more important than ever to invest in technology that keeps you, your on-site staff, and your residents safe. We have previously discussed ways, such as UV-C Disinfection Lighting, to combat the spread of the virus, but how do you combat a resident or staff member testing positive for COVID-19?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification is recognized as a globally used green building rating system for all building types to provide the foundation for healthy, efficient, sustainable, and cost-saving green buildings.

In partnership with LED Lighting Consulting, Converged Services recently announced a safe and smart way for community associations to open during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing Ultraviolet (UV-C) disinfection lighting.