Residents who lack digital connectivity in New Orleans, LA will remain unconnected, at least for the moment, reports CitiesToday.com. A smart city project that was slated to begin work on closing the digital divide has taken a step backwards following concerns about the legitimacy of the bidding process. The Smart+Connected NOLA consortium, which provided the winning RFP bid in 2021 has now withdrawn itself from consideration.
Citing “significant uncertainty surrounding the future of the project,” the Smart+Connected NOLA consortium has stepped away from the project. It won the original bid with its multi-year plan to provide smart city upgrades on a cost-neutral basis. The smart city features included city-grid internet, streetlights, WiFi kiosks, and traffic management. The Smart+Connected NOLA consortium included Qualcomm, Jacobs Engineering and JLC Infrastructure.
With the winning bidder bowing out, the RFP process is back at ground zero. Over the past year, fellow bidder Cox Communications lodged an official complaint about the bidding process. Reports have also surfaced that Jonathan Rhodes, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Utilities, has documents showing potential contracting rigging and a lack of transparency during the RFP process. The information was discovered by investigative reporting agency, The Lens, which also notes that Rhodes has been subpoenaed.
“It’s a shame that efforts to get our residents access to cheaper and better internet are being delayed by potential bid rigging and other lapses in transparency, ” said Council President Helena Moreno via Twitter. “We’ll [continue] to investigate and pursue accountability to make sure future efforts are successful.”
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