Cities, transport systems and shopping centres are undergoing a profound digital transformation. JCDecaux never stops innovating, guiding them toward an ever more connected future.
The deployment of a high-quality network has become a major strategic advantage to cities and transport systems looking to enhance their appeal and competitiveness. Local authorities and businesses, as well as citizens and consumers, are more than ever expecting to benefit seamlessly from the on-going digital transformation.
With connectivity being essential to building tomorrow’s Smart Cities, JCDecaux has partnered with mobile network operators by offering them its street furniture in which to install small cells, with a limited visual impact. This helps enhance coverage and performance of voice and data networks in dense urban areas as well as attractive, busy ones. JCDecaux offers aesthetically pleasing, integrated solutions that respect its advertising concession agreements, local urban environmental policies and levels of radio wave exposure.
In the end, like water we all need connectivityGer Baron Chief Technology Officer, City of Amsterdam
Small cells, low-emission, low-consumption 4G/5G antennas integrated to our street furniture, boost network coverage and densification in their vicinity, answering the growing need for data. They increase download speeds on smartphones and tablets, when their proximity to users reduces smartphone power, limiting the radio wave exposure and increasing battery life. Furthermore, their energy consumption and levels of radio wave exposure are more than 10 times lower than existing cellular radio nodes.
The Wi-Fi solution installed on our street furniture strengthen network coverage, ensuring users a better connection as they move around in areas selected by local and transport authorities. Based on a cloud platform, it offers a consistent quality of service and a secured, centralized data collection.
In the digital and connected age, data are at the core of JCDecaux’s business lines. As a player in the service of the city and citizens, JCDecaux must be exemplary in this area. Putting ethical guidelines in place for collecting and processing data, especially personal data, is thus a priority for the Group.
Our network is one of our greatest strengths. With a presence in more than 80 countries, we have the capacity to create solutions on a national and international scale. The high density of our networks is a major asset. Our street furniture can be equipped with connectivity solutions without the need for additional equipment or major construction. To develop an ecosytem supporting a better urban connectivity, JCDecaux created in 2015 a corporate business unit dedicated to connectivity, in charge to develop Small Cells and WiFi activities. JCDecaux Link has since deployed Small Cells in 10 countries (Brasil, Chile, France, Italy, Japan, Panama, Portugal, The Netherlands, United States) with major telecom operators such as Vodafone, Verizon, Orange, Telefónica or América Móvil.
Finally, with the depth of our market knowledge and the proven success of our business model, we can help our partners find financing for their initiatives through advertising, exchanges or sponsorship.
Deploying Small Cells is in line with our commitment to provide citizens with high-quality, innovative solutions. Awards granted to JCDecaux at the Small Cell Forum in 2015 (« Small cell technology and deployment enablers ») and 2017 (« Excellence in commercial Deployment ») are a testimonial of our team expertise to provide state-of-the-art solution fully integrated in the urban landscape.
Network integration is done in aesthetical harmony, or even in a totally invisible way, in compliance with existing regulations on radio wave exposure. In its report published in December 2018, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR, Agence Nationale des Fréquences) has highlighted the positive impact of these solutions on network performance and levels of radio wave exposure.
The impact on the public’s levels of radio wave exposure. The measured exposure of the user is in average lower, or shorter in time, when the device is connected to a small cell than when connecting to the current macro network.French National Frequency Agency December 2018 report
