Life inside this smart tech community
We've all heard of smart homes, but what about smart communities?
Playing his favorite video games without worrying about internet speed or connection is just one of the reasons Brandon Ambrose chose to move into a home in a smart community.
“The speed, gigabit, fiber to the home is about as fast as you can get,” he says.
But that's just the beginning.
Fast fiber speeds take everything in his home to another level.
Ambrose can control lighting with his voice, or through an app on his phone. He can also lock doors, turn on the air conditioner, or even open the garage.
The app not only turns sprinklers, it can sense if it's rained to adjust the watering schedule. It even lets Ambrose know how much water he's using.
“It definitely makes you more aware of what you're using for each of those, every month or every day,” he says.
This smart technology comes standard in every home in Colorado’s Sterling Ranch community, which one of several smart communities popping up around the country.
“I really do feel like it's a community of the future,” says Walker Hinshaw, chief operations officer of Lumiere Fiber. “I think more and more we're seeing communities being started with technology in mind.”
And more smart technology is on the way.
Street lights will have security cameras with speakers and change colors based on emergency situations.
Still, the community has pledged not to collect resident data.
“We don't want people's data,” Hinshaw says. “We want them to be able to interact with the system and feel that they do have privacy in the system.”
The tech in each house is optional for residents. However, Ambrose is taking full advantage.
“Now that we have it, I can't imagine having a house without it,” Ambrose says.
Right now, 400 homes are in this community. There are plans to reach 12,000 in the next 20 years.
