Article

Brownsville, Texas, is modernizing its IT infrastructure with a 100-mile fiber optic Internet network and a private 5G cellular network. CIO Cardenas, who previously worked on military infrastructure, initiated the project to transform the city into a smart city.

The fiber network, completed in 18 months, serves around 6,000 customers through Omni Fiber. The 5G network covers three square miles and supports free Wi-Fi in city parks. Funded by an $27.5 million grant, the project includes AI for real-time monitoring of traffic and public safety. Installation of AI hardware across three data centers is expected to finish by year-end.