Government of Penang has announced that it will be installing smart street poles in the state to provide free WiFi, among other telecommunication functions, under its Penang Connectivity Master Plan (PCMP). As a part of a pilot, a few smart street poles are being installed and the state authorities are drafting a request for a proposal (RFP) to install these smart street poles throughout the rest of the state.
Other functionality, including public WiFi, CCTV, and sensors, will be installed in the smart street poles in addition to telecommunications capabilities. Some of the poles will also have 5G capabilities and assist the deployment of 5G services in Penang.
The smart street pole project was initially scheduled to be rolled-out in 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19 lockdowns.