Pulse Smart Hub with free wifi and phone chargers could be coming to Commercial Road in Portsmouth
Commercial Road could soon be home to a “Pulse Smart Hub” offering free Wi-Fi, wireless phone charging, and information for locals and visitors.
Plans have been submitted to Portsmouth City Council for the installation of this innovative free-standing structure, which features an interactive tablet and dual digital displays.
Planning documents describe the Pulse Smart Hub as “a modern-day piece of street furniture that supports the health and vitality of the communities we serve”. The hub is provided at no cost to users, local stakeholders, or taxpayers, making it an accessible resource for the entire community.
“Our hubs provide improved connectivity, access to hyper-local information and services, real-time data, and direct access to emergency lifesaving equipment,” documents said.
“The Pulse Smart Hub actively removes barriers to entry and champions social inclusion for all.”
The interactive touchscreen tablet offers free access to Wi-Fi, phone calls, digital wayfinding and mapping, wireless phone charging, and information about council services, helplines, and city events.
In addition to these connectivity features, the hub includes important health and safety tools such as a defibrillator, a Naloxone opioid antagonist (to reverse an opioid overdose), an emergency support button, and a direct 999 emergency service button.
The planning documents also highlight that these features can be developed in collaboration with tourism boards, local councils, police, outreach charities, and other community organisations.
To maintain the hub, it will have a fortnightly deep clean to address issues like fly-posting, graffiti, and glass etching.
Since 2019, the firm said a network of similar smart hubs in Belfast has led to more than 4,000 free phone calls, with homeless charities and taxi services among the most frequently contacted.
In collaboration with the Police Service Northern Ireland, the large display screens on these hubs can be used to communicate critical information during major events, such as severe weather, terrorism, or public disorder.
The hub’s connection to local health services is also noteworthy, with paramedics using the in-built defibrillator around once a month. When used within five minutes of a cardiac arrest, defibrillators can increase survival rates to 70 per cent.
If approved, the Pulse Smart Hub will be located on the corner of Commercial Road and Station Street.