As published in the industry publication TelecomNewsroom, read on for an interview with Bigbelly’s SVP of Information and Communications Technology, Alex Gamota. This interview was held shortly before the NEDAS NYC Summit in September where Alex participated on a panel to discuss the impact and role of multi-purpose infrastructure in the small cell market evolution. Were not able to attend the event? Check out the full panel session recording, here!
The NEDAS NYC Summit will be featuring speakers focused on the challenges and solutions enabling ubiquitous wireless solutions in buildings, communities and beyond. Sharing insights about the realities behind enabling IoT in smart communities is BigBelly’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Information and Communication Technologies, Alex Gamota. Gamota’s insights on urban infrastructure challenges are insightful and will be highlighted on September 6 at the Summit where he will be participating on the panel titled: A Market Evolution: Building out the U.S. Infrastructure to Meet Tomorrow’s Demand where he will be joined by a moderator:
Ari Zoldan, CEO, Quantum Media along with other panelists that include: Jim Lockwood, President, Aero Wireless Group; Jerry Kirshman, COO and President, Galtronics; and Victoria Lamberth, COO, ZenFi Networks. For some of Gamota’s unique insights continue reading below.
TelecomNewsroom (TNR) Q1: What do you predict will be the long-term impact of emerging technologies and trends implemented in the coming 12 months?
Alex Gamota (AG) A1: We’re intrigued by the multi-purpose use of assets and infrastructure that are helping to solve for the aesthetic and deployment challenges associated with DAS, small cell, and other wireless technologies. Communities and solution providers share the challenge of how and where to deploy communications infrastructure and small cells in the public right-of-way without additional clutter or negative aesthetic impact.
Growing urban populations and expectation for enhanced high bandwidth connectivity places additional pressure on already strained urban infrastructure. This fundamental infrastructure will need to be rebuilt to accommodate the expectations and needs for tomorrow. Municipalities are driven to deploy solutions that encourage citizen engagement, solve operational problems, and deliver meaningful value that lead to improved services.
The trend of adopting multi-use platforms for the sake of eased deployment and minimized distractions on the streetscape will have a long term impact on overall urban experience and livability in less cluttered spaces.
TNR Q2: What is the most exciting technology or solution that you are seeing in the market?
AG A2: On Bigbelly’s behalf, we are excited to be partnering with Nokia Services and leading wireless operators to bring an exciting solution to the market. In addition to modernizing waste operations with our proven smart waste system, we’re enabling communities to transform multiple core city services (waste management and wireless connectivity) with a single platform.
Bigbelly’s hosting platform is optimal for siting additional technologies since it is easy to access and can hide equipment in plain sight, and do so without contributing another thing to already cluttered streetscapes, sidewalks, and parks. Waste stations are located where the people are, which is exactly where denser cell coverage is needed. Small Cells are hidden from public view inside Bigbelly’s telecom cabinet hosting platform. This avoids the need to erect a tall pole and visible electronics, or adding more to existing poles that are already cluttered with attachments and reaching capacity. This innovative approach to small cell deployment has been embraced with excitement by industry leaders, solution providers, and most importantly, communities.
TNR Q3: What are your company’s key differentiators?
AG A3: As a Massachusetts-based smart waste management, smart city, and IoT industry leader, Bigbelly has extended our waste system to provide a multi-purpose platform that is a siting option for the deployment of multi-operator telecommunications equipment in the public right-of-way. Bigbelly delivers a unique siting platform for multi-operator wireless infrastructure and telecom equipment that can be co-located in this core city waste infrastructure.
This provides our customers with expanded value and potential revenue streams associated with siting telecommunications equipment and infrastructure in the public right-of-way. Best-in-class information and communication technology services are enabled by this platform, while minimizing visual impact and footprint associated with Small Cell infrastructure. Communities benefit from wireless applications that improve quality of life, public safety, and economic development while keeping streets and sidewalks clean and delivering robust wireless connectivity to the residents, businesses, and visitors.
TNR Q4: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
AG A4: Bigbelly’s telecom cabinet hosting platform is uniquely positioned to host shared digital infrastructure. This multi-function platform enables the efficient and non-intrusive deployment of wireless and cellular communication services by leveraging the critical public right of way real estate our system occupies in the delivery of core waste management services. We’re addressing the growing backlash of aesthetic concerns for the denser deployment of telecom equipment in the public right of way.
Our form factor is already accepted in thousands of cities, towns, universities, and venues. Built to stand the rigor of tough urban environments, typically greater than ten years, our smart waste station footprint enables street level access thereby simplifying installation and maintenance, and reducing total cost of ownership. An unsuspecting smart waste station location ends up being a site that can extend to allow a variety of other smart city applications.
TNR: Thank you Alex. This has been very insightful. Bigbelly’s solutions no only to urban communications infrastructure while solving the problem of litter is a great example of our smart city solutions are providing a positive impact not just on our cell phone capabilities but the cleanliness and visual appeal of our city streets. You can meet Alex at the NEDAS event in NYC on September 6, 2018. To learn more about Bigbelly and their smart city solutions you can visit: https://bigbelly.com/.
Source: TelecomNewsroom
About Alex Gamota: 
As Senior Vice President & General Manager of Bigbelly’s Information and Communications Technology business unit, Alex is a wireless industry veteran responsible for leading the vision and direction of the company’s multi-purpose infrastructure platform. Alex has over 20 twenty years of US and international experience achieving results for ICT infrastructure businesses in senior management, consulting, and board roles. Developed, launched and sold wireless and fiber infrastructure products throughout the US and overseas. He is a regular panelist at FCC, industry events and contributor to trade regulatory activities. Alex hold a master’s degree from MIT and bachelor’s degrees from the Univ. of Michigan.
