HIGHLIGHTS
ARLINGTON IS FIRST CITY IN TEXAS , LARGEST IN COUNTRY TO BECOME SIFI NETWORK ’ S FIBERCITY ®
CITY OF ARLINGTON PUTS TECHNOLOGY TO WORK TO NOTIFY DRIVERS ABOUT ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Through a partnership with Buyers Barricades , Arlington is the first city in Texas to implement Wanco ’ s Connected Arrow Boards , which do more than signal to approaching drivers whether to move over to the left or right for lane closures .
On May 18 , the Arlington City Council unanimously approved an agreement that allows SiFi Networks access to public right-of-way to build its fiber optic network across the 99-square-mile community . Within the next two years , SiFi Networks is set to begin installing more than 10 million linear feet of fiber through every street . The FiberCity ® network , expected to be built out over a five-year period , would then be able to provide a high-speed fiber Internet connectivity point to approximately 156,000 residential properties and 16,000 businesses in Arlington .
SiFi networks , which would own , operate and maintain the fiber network , would contract with Internet Service Providers to provide choice and competitively priced services to residential and business subscribers seeking gigabite Internet speeds .
“ While the community will benefit from superfast broadband , the FiberCity ® will also support Arlington ’ s economic future and help bridge the digital divide that exists in areas of the community ”, said former Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams . Additionally , the network will have a direct impact on employment , helping existing business grow and attracting new business to the city , he said .
These electronic boards also have the ability to transmit an alert directly to the Waze app , providing drivers who use the app advance notice of lane mergers ahead that could affect their commute . The alert appears as a construction hat icon in the app that users can tap for more information at a glance .
As a part of the partnership , Arlington also provides construction , crash and road closure data to Waze to give drivers awareness of the most current road conditions .
Drivers can download Waze for free at www . waze . com / get .