Montgomery Launches Smart City Living Lab

• The City of Montgomery launched its Open Data Portal in January 2017 and has already deployed several internal City initiatives to streamline processes and more efficiently and transparently track resources.  

• The Montgomery Internet Exchange (MGMix), launched through a collaboration among Montgomery County, The City of Montgomery, research universities, Maxwell Gunter Air Force Base and the new Cyber College of the Air Force; is one of only four internet exchanges in the Southeast.  

• The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce launched Phase I of the free public Wi-Fi network called “MGMWiFi” earlier this month, with plans to expand in the next few months.   

• Alabama Power is working to enhance energy infrastructure around the corridor and is also beginning the process of converting more than 22,000 street lights to LEDs to help improve public safety, increase uniformity, and create over $650,000 in savings over the next five years. Additional public safety and smart parking initiatives will follow. 

Quotes:  

• “Beginning with a “smart” corridor from the capital to the riverfront, we are building a smart city from the ground up – using fiber and connectivity to seamlessly integrate into the existing environment, while providing a platform for the deployment of any number of smart city solutions,” said Willie Durham, Chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.  

• “This is all about partnerships and leveraging resources to provide a sustainable, prosperous, equitable and inclusive future for all Montgomery residents. We are seeking to build a fabric of connectivity that can support a multitude of applications and services by utilizing the same communications platforms, thus creating efficiencies, saving costs, and ultimately delivering more for those living in and visiting Montgomery,” said Todd Strange, Mayor of the City of Montgomery. 

• "We are proud to be a partner in this effort and leverage resources and technology that can help improve Montgomery for all residents. The benefit of reliable connectivity can be used to support a multitude of applications and ultimately deliver more for those who live in and visit Montgomery,” said Leslie Sanders, Alabama Power’s Vice President of the Southern Division.  

• “Partnerships and shared goals have always been at the heart of Montgomery’s success, and today we again stand together and take a bold step towards a more prosperous future for our citizens,” said County Commission Chairman Elton Dean.  

To learn more about the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.montgomerychamber.com.