New Smart Kiosks Bring Technology, Information ?to Bronzeville Residents

ComEd smart technology upgrades provide free WiFi, public access to information
Published: November 17, 2020

To continue to support families and businesses through innovation and smart energy solutions, ComEd has installed two new touchless Smart Kiosks in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, providing residents easy access to a WiFi hotspot and important information.

“ComEd works to find new ways to connect our customers to information and resources that power their daily lives,” said Dr. Shay Bahramirad, vice president of engineering and smart grid at ComEd. “We are excited to expand our Smart Grid program in Bronzeville with two new Smart Kiosks that allow families and businesses to better plan and navigate their day. Similar to other smart energy solutions we have piloted in Bronzeville, such as an electric car service and community microgrid, these innovations focus on improving the lives of the people we are privileged to serve.”

Located at the corners of 47th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive as well as 35th and State Streets, the ComEd Smart Kiosks are interactive displays that provide residents with free access to vital, real-time information, including weather, emergency alerts, public transportation route tracking, pedestrian wayfinding, local business promotion and neighborhood events. These installations expand on the Smart Kiosk program in Bronzeville, which began with a Smart Kiosk at 35th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

To ensure a safe experience during and after the pandemic, ComEd will regularly clean and maintain the Smart Kiosks, which also feature advanced technology that scrolls messages automatically, eliminating the need to touch the equipment.

The Smart Kiosks are part of ComEd’s Community of the Future, an initiative to deploy and test smart and sustainable energy solutions in urban communities. The program also facilitates educational opportunities and access to resources to help communities like Bronzeville become more resilient to environmental challenges like climate change.

Since 2016, ComEd has worked with community partners in and around Bronzeville to create one of the greenest and most connected communities in the nation, in an effort to redefine the role of the urban utility and transform lives in the process. Community of the Future programs empower residents with technology that improves quality of life, enhances the sustainability of local institutions, and engages the culture of the community to enhance resilience in a fast-changing society.

The Smart Kiosk pilot was launched in 2018 through a partnership with Interactive Kiosk Experience (IKE) with the goal of installing kiosks in critical need areas of Chicago. The first of three kiosks was installed at the corner of 35^th and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and remains there today. With the successful pilot in Bronzeville, ComEd plans to roll out additional kiosks in Chicagoland and northern Illinois.

ComEd’s Community of the Future technologies, including Smart Kiosks, help address the information accessibility and equity in underserved communities and residents thrive through the use of smart technology.

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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Keywords: ComeEd, Smart City, Smart Kiosks, Solar, Wifii