The interactive kiosks will be rolling out across the UK next year. Maximus Networks, a British smart city telecoms company, is investing £150m in a national network of over 2,000 interactive streetside hubs across the UK.
On the back of its plans, it has commissioned signage and street furniture manufacturer, Trueform, to manufacture the Max 3 hubs which will be installed on high streets across the country throughout 2019 and beyond. Trueform is the main supplier of Transport for London’s bus shelters, wayfinding signage and digital infrastructure.
Max 3 has been devised to provide out-of-home connectivity alongside smart city functions, such as pollution and traffic monitoring and weather data capture in addition to free wi-fi, phone calls, wayfinding and rapid device charging.
According to Maximus, through app-based interactive screens, the hubs provide many public safety and information benefits including access to Childline, access to emergency services, emergency activated cameras to be activated if citizens feel threatened as well as public information displays that can be used by councils to promote local services and initiatives.