Itron and CLS Join Forces to Accelerate Smart Lighting Rollout Across Australia

A significant development in Australia’s smart-city and connected-lighting sector was confirmed on 19 November 2025, as Itron, Inc. announced that Connected Lighting Solutions (CLS) has joined the Itron Engage Sales Channel Partner Program. The move positions both companies to expand advanced smart-lighting infrastructure across Australia, with direct implications for integrators working in connected lighting, IoT, and urban AV systems.

A New National Push for Intelligent Lighting

Under the agreement, CLS, a specialist in roadway and public-realm lighting and part of the Beacon Lighting Group will support the deployment of Itron’s Networked Lighting Controller (NLC) hardware and the CityEdge smart-city management platform. The combined offer gives Australian councils and utilities access to real-time streetlight monitoring, adaptive lighting controls, outage detection, and data-driven maintenance tools.

Itron’s platforms are already widely used in global smart-city programmes, but CLS’s involvement provides what many Australian deployments have lacked: local technical support, local supply, and local integration expertise.

Why This Matters for Integrators

The announcement has implications well beyond the lighting sector. As councils and precinct developers push for more connected urban environments, intelligent lighting often becomes the entry point for wider IoT and AV ecosystems.

For AV, lighting, and systems integrators, the partnership offers three key advantages:

• Stronger Local Support
  CLS will provide in-country assistance during design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance — reducing the risk profile for integrators taking on large-scale public lighting projects.

• Gateway to Smart-City Work
  With Itron’s CityEdge platform capable of supporting additional sensors, controls, and digital infrastructure, integrators can position lighting upgrades as the foundation for traffic monitoring, environmental sensors, public-safety cameras, or digital signage networks.

• Growing Market Demand
  Australian councils continue to shift toward energy-efficient LED and connected lighting. The partnership signals expected expansion in procurement and tender activity in 2026, particularly as states work toward emissions reduction and smarter asset management.
  
  

Beyond efficiency, the partnership reflects how lighting has become strategic civic infrastructure. Intelligent lighting systems help local governments reduce operational costs, respond to outages more quickly, and prepare for more integrated digital-city environments.

For integrators, this means expanding opportunity across:

• connected lighting retrofits

• sensor-enabled public spaces

• IoT-driven city dashboards

• AV + lighting convergence projects in precincts and transport hubs
  
  

What to Watch Next

• Early deployment announcements from major councils in VIC, NSW and WA

• Integrator tenders tied to large-scale NLC or CityEdge rollouts

• Expansion of the partnership toward additional smart-city services

• Whether other lighting manufacturers partner with IoT platforms to compete