When it comes to upgrading street lighting, not every city can or should start from scratch. Many towns, suburbs and even large urban districts are looking for solutions that are affordable, non-intrusive and ready to deliver results today.

For these situations, lighting cabinet controllers provide a practical and efficient path forward. Flashnet’s cabinet controllers are smart controllers installed directly inside street lighting feeder pillars. Instead of controlling individual lamps one by one, a cabinet controller allows remote management of an entire segment or group of lamps, providing cities with immediate smart control capabilities.

Built for fast deployment, cabinet controllers enable cities to enhance their street lighting operations without replacing every lamp or altering the existing infrastructure.

Lighting cabinet controllers were designed to simplify the first steps toward smart lighting, without requiring expensive pole replacements or full network rebuilds.

Instead of controlling individual lamps, cabinet controllers manage entire groups of streetlights from a central feeder pillar, providing a practical, efficient way to upgrade the infrastructure while keeping budgets under control.

By implementing smart control at the segment level, cities immediately benefit from:

• Remote real-time ON/OFF control: Operators can monitor and switch lighting segments remotely, improving operational efficiency and response time.
• Autonomous operation: Lighting schedules can be automated based on astronomic calendars (sunrise/sunset) or real-world data from external light level sensors, reducing the need for manual intervention.
• Detailed electrical measurements: Municipalities gain better visibility over energy consumption and network conditions, enabling predictive maintenance and faster issue resolution.
• Seamless integration with inteliLIGHT® Streetlight Control Software: The entire infrastructure is monitored and managed through an intuitive, scalable software platform, compatible with open smart city standards like TALQ.
• Flexible communication options: FRCMs adapt to local connectivity needs, supporting GSM, NB-IoT, LTE-M, or LoRaWAN® networks, ensuring reliable communication no matter the urban environment.

With lighting cabinet controllers, municipalities can achieve immediate results in lighting management at a fraction of the cost and complexity of a full smart city rollout.

In many cases, using segment control proves to be the most realistic option. Whether it’s about budget, historical infrastructure, or urgent modernization needs, the advantages are: 

Lower implementation costs 

No need for major civil works or changes to existing lighting poles. Deployment is fast and efficient. 

Faster project timelines 

From initial decision to live operation, projects involving FRCMs can be completed much quicker than projects that require full lamp-by-lamp upgrades. 

Better maintenance and monitoring 

Detailed real-time grid parameters allow technical teams to spot issues earlier and respond faster, reducing both downtime and maintenance costs. 

A modular foundation for future upgrades 

Lighting cabinet controllers are fully compatible with inteliLIGHT®’s modular approach. Cities can start with segment control and later expand to individual lamp control, smart sensors, or other smart city applications –  at their own pace, based on real needs and budgets. 

 Several towns and cities have already implemented Flashnet’s cabinet controllers as part of their smart street lighting strategies: 

• Southern Italy: towns like Sammichele, Castel Madama, and Gravina upgraded their lighting infrastructure by combining FRCMs with shared management platforms, encouraging regional collaboration. 

• Elis, Greece: a mix of cabinet and lamp controllers helped balance modernization goals with local priorities, minimizing disruption while preparing for future smart city projects. 

• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: the city’s urban landscape underwent a remarkable transformation, including the installation of over 1200 inteliLIGHT® FRCM cabinet controllers aiming to enhance maintenance efficiency, improve service quality and bolster public safety.  

• Dammam, Saudi Arabia: cabinet controllers ensure stable, autonomous lighting operation across a major industrial area, with high network security standards. 

Each of these cases demonstrates the versatility of cabinet controllers adapting to different urban realities while delivering results. 

A great example of how cabinet controllers are helping cities evolve comes from Hafnarfjörður, Iceland. 

In partnership with Rafal, Flashnet is modernizing the lighting infrastructure of this growing coastal town by installing a mix of segment controllers , including inteliLIGHT® FRCM-L units and Zhaga-based controllers across 6,000 streetlights. 

The project uses LoRaWAN® communication technology and connects all components through the inteliLIGHT CMS platform, giving the municipality complete real-time control over the lighting network. 

• The FRCM controllers automate streetlight operation based on astronomic calendars while monitoring voltage, current, and other key electrical parameters at the feeder pillar level. 

• The Zhaga controllers provide area-based adaptive lighting, adjusting brightness to match ambient conditions, improving both safety and energy efficiency. 

Thanks to this smart setup, Hafnarfjörður gains: 

• Proactive maintenance, minimizing outages and keeping public spaces safer 

• Dynamic lighting adjustments that optimize energy use and reduce the town’s carbon footprint 

inteliLIGHT® is a smart street lighting control solution that offers detailed lamp-level management capabilities (ON/OFF, dimming, real-time reporting) over multiple IoT communication technologies. In-depth grid awareness is obtained through accurate utility-grade readings of any changes occurring along the grid, reducing energy loss and offering advanced maintenance optimization tools. Furthermore, inteliLIGHT® is integrated with Smart City management platforms and offers support for further Smart City development. (www.inteliLIGHT.eu)

FLASHNET is a fast-paced tech company that integrates the latest IT, energy and telecommunications technologies into hardware and software solutions, creating and implementing intelligent systems for smarter cities and better infrastructure. Founded in 2005, FLASHNET is a leader in intelligent utility management systems, with worldwide operations. (www.flashnet.ro)

Lucy Group is a diversified international group with operating businesses across three sectors: Lucy Electric, Lucy Controls and Lucy Real Estate. Since its origins in Oxford, over 200 years ago, the Group has grown and evolved. Lucy Group now employs over 1,500 employees across offices and factories in 10 regions and trades in over 70 countries. The Group’s annual revenues in 2021 were over £250 million. Further information can be found at www.lucygroup.com