South Korean telecommunications firm KT announced Wednesday that the company has teamed up with Posco and Mystech to develop smart urban street furniture.

Under the partnership signed Wednesday, the three Korean firms plan to introduce its smart street furniture system to smart cities that the local governments will introduce down the road.

In the development phase, KT will provide its Internet of Things technologies. Posco will offer its steel materials, while local street furniture maker Mystech will build physical structures of the street furniture with the materials provided, according to KT.

The furniture is expected to have sensors that can monitor the soil around them and have the water supply unit to sprinkle water when needed, preventing street trees from dying due to draught.

KT said the company‘s smart street furniture would help trees to survive in tough urban settings and increase their life expectancy. The smart system will help to reduce carbon dioxide level in cities as a result, the company added.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)