Ubicquia just rolled out one of its biggest product expansions to date — and if you follow smart cities, utility tech, or the shift toward connected public infrastructure, this one is worth your attention. The company has introduced a coordinated suite of next-generation tools designed to help utilities and municipalities upgrade their streetlight networks with sharper asset management, AI-driven insights, and much smoother operations.

At the heart of this launch is UbiCell® Micro, a universal streetlight controller that shrinks advanced intelligence into a compact form factor. Alongside it comes a refreshed UbiVu® platform and a brand-new AI video accessory called UbiScout™. Together, they represent a push toward turning streetlights — the most widespread piece of public infrastructure on Earth — into a smarter, more adaptive network.

A tiny device with big ambitions: Meet UbiCell Micro

UbiCell Micro is the standout here. Ubicquia is calling it the smallest and most intelligent streetlight controller on the market, and based on the specs, that isn’t marketing fluff. The device is actually smaller than a standard photocell but meets high utility-grade expectations for accuracy, surge protection, vibration resistance, and overall durability.

It is also impressively universal. It auto-detects voltages from 120V all the way up to 480V and is fully compatible with the leading dimming protocols: 0-10V, DALI, and D4i. For cities that run a mix of older roadway fixtures and decorative or ornamental setups, this means one device works everywhere — no separate SKUs, no compatibility headaches.

What really stands out is the combination of dual-LUX sensors and assisted GPS, allowing very precise lighting behavior based on environment and location. And because UbiCell Micro ships with a single modem plus eSIM support, it can be deployed pretty much anywhere in the world, across both public and private cellular networks. For utilities dealing with regional rollouts, multinational deployments, or varying carrier coverage, that’s a major operational win.

Smart City begins with Smart Lighting?

UbiVu evolves into a full-scale ERP for public infrastructure

If UbiCell Micro is the hardware star, the UbiVu platform is quietly becoming the digital backbone for thousands of municipalities. Already deployed in more than 1,000 cities and utilities, UbiVu has grown from a streetlight monitoring dashboard into what now resembles an ERP for critical infrastructure.

The latest upgrade makes that evolution even clearer. UbiVu now supports native integration with third-party sensors, so utilities aren’t locked into a proprietary ecosystem. It introduces work-order and inventory management tools, plus a redesigned interface for faster outage reporting.

For cities, this translates into fewer truck rolls, faster customer response times, better asset visibility, and smoother cross-department workflows. In simple terms: the platform helps utilities stop firefighting and start operating strategically.

UbiScout brings AI-powered video to the streetlight pole

The final piece of the launch — and arguably the most forward-looking — is UbiScout, a Zhaga Book 18 AI video accessory designed to plug directly into UbiCell controllers. This is where streetlights start doubling as real-time data sources.

UbiScout can monitor pedestrian movement, measure traffic flows, assess curb usage, identify roadway conditions, and recommend optimized lighting levels based on actual activity. These insights feed directly back into city operations, supporting everything from adaptive lighting programs to smarter mobility planning.

The key here is simplicity: no large camera installations, no complex wiring, no standalone mounts. It attaches to existing infrastructure as a plug-and-play add-on. For any city trying to stretch its budget while still innovating, that’s a compelling value proposition.

Why this launch matters now

Ubicquia’s timing isn’t accidental. Cities worldwide are under pressure to modernize their lighting networks, reduce energy spend, and build data-driven services — all without adding operational complexity. Streetlights are often the first step in a smart city roadmap because they’re everywhere and already connected to power.

What Ubicquia is doing aligns with broader industry trends:

Shrinking hardware

Devices like Signify’s BrightSites nodes or Acuity’s nLight AIR controllers are getting smaller, but UbiCell Micro pushes the industry toward near-invisible intelligence.

AI at the edge

Vendors such as Axis and Genetec have led the way on edge analytics in video, but applying this to streetlights is still an emerging territory. UbiScout enters this space at a moment when cities are demanding real-time mobility data without large infrastructure spend.

Unified asset management

Firms like Itron and Trilliant offer strong grid and lighting management platforms, but many utilities still juggle multiple systems. UbiVu’s shift toward ERP-style management reflects what analysts at Guidehouse and Gartner have been predicting for years: convergence is coming.

Conclusion: Ubicquia positions itself as the quiet disruptor to watch

Ubicquia isn’t the biggest name in smart city tech, but launches like this show why it’s becoming one of the most influential. Instead of building flashy standalone hardware, the company focuses on practical intelligence — tools cities can deploy quickly, manage easily, and scale affordably.

By shrinking the controller, expanding the platform, and adding AI video as a modular accessory, Ubicquia is offering something many competitors aren’t: a unified ecosystem that works with the infrastructure cities already have.

Reliable industry reports from Navigant Research, Northeast Group, and smart lighting studies from IEA all point to the same trend: cities want connected lighting that delivers energy savings today and actionable data tomorrow. Ubicquia’s new suite fits squarely into that trajectory, and its compatibility-first approach could give it an edge over more closed, proprietary systems.

If you’re following the evolution of intelligent public lighting — from energy-saving LEDs to fully adaptive, data-rich networks — this launch is a clear signal. The next phase isn’t coming. It’s here.