Public Wi-Fi in a Trash Can

Ruckus partners with BigBelly to enable smart trash cans, simultaneously making waste collection more efficient and extending public wi-fi.

Recently, we released a solution brief on a partnership Ruckus has with Bigbelly. Bigbelly is a smart waste and recycling solution that transforms the collection of public waste and recycling. It reduces waste management costs by up to 80% and makes a positive impact on the quality of life for citizens and visitors everywhere. In addition to cutting costs, the Bigbelly solution enhances public space attractiveness and improves sanitation. And Bigbelly smart waste stations are a perfect location for Ruckus access points (APs). By combining the Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi solution with the Bigbelly smart recycling system, cities can provide public Wi-Fi while tidying up the environment. Our market-leading Wi-Fi provides users with highly reliable broadband Internet access to help bridge the digital divide, provide a critical amenity to the community and support new city services. Why This Is A Great Match Large cities can pay over $2,000 per year per trash bin for trash collection. This constitutes a significant portion of the city’s budget. Traditionally, cities have developed static waste collection routes to empty every trash bin according to a pre-determined schedule—usually once or twice a week. This often leads to trashcans being emptied when they are only 30 percent full, or worse, when the trashcans are overflowing beyond capacity. The Bigbelly smart system enables cities to monitor each trash system so they know exactly how much trash is in each one. They can trigger a collection once it hits a certain threshold, eliminating too-early or too-late trash collections. Cities are also interested in public Wi-Fi to bridge the digital divide and improve the overall lifestyle of citizens and visitors. Outdoor public Wi-Fi deployments need a few things to be successful:
  • Secure and aesthetically pleasing locations for APs
  • Power for the access point
  • Places where people congregate
Bigbelly systems help solve these challenges by providing a secure location and power for the APs. In addition, since the trash systems are placed where people congregate, they are ideally situated for APs. Overall, this is a great solution that combines cost savings with public Wi-Fi. With Bigbelly and Ruckus Smart City Wi-Fi, you can:
  • Deploy a smart waste and recycling platform and enable Wi-Fi and Internet of Things (IoT) applications in a fully integrated solution.
  • Provide secure, public Wi-Fi to visitors and residents to help eliminate the digital divide and create a thriving city environment
  • Keep city streets clean and trash-free while significantly reducing overall waste management costs.
Additional information on the Ruckus Smart City solution can be found at https://www.ruckuswireless.com/solutions/smart-cities. Bigbelly information can be found at http://Bigbelly.com.