VATICAN ENQUIRER – The Municipalidad de San Jose (Muni) announced a new project that plans on turning Costa Rica’s capital city San Jose into a “smart city”.

The plan would involve and unknown number of projects and people, who will be working around the clock, to ensure that wi-fi is available at any time of day or night and take about 30 years to complete.

The project is aimed at improving the quality of life in San Jose, providing easier access to public services.

However, Muni officials have a number of concerns to address, like how to stop pilfering of signals by neighbouring municipalities, such as Escazu on the west or San Pedro to the east, both affluent middle to upper class communities, with large populations.

Then there is the potential problem with traffic accidents, as mobile wi-fi users make a sudden stop as they reach the free signal range. “We can see rear-end collisions happening at all hours of the day and night,” said the head of the traffic police. Another traffic problem foreseen is illegal parking by users wanting to stay within range.

This isn’t just for the benefit of residents. If San Jose achieves the ability to become a smart city, it would be amongst a few in the world, carving out a niche market for business and technological development and potential investors.

By José Manuel Garcia Rodriguez
Reportering for the Vatican Enquirer