The only reason it's plugged into the streetlight is because it is a good source to get the electricity....from the photocell plug! It only uses the Neutral and the Hot....the 3rd one goes straight to the top socket while the other 2 is also connected to the top...the 3rd prong just controls to turn on or off the streetlight....
For the device...I am not sure on this one...but I actually have one myself although it's actually useless.....believe it or not!
But those things (the older ones from 1996 and on) used to be used just to pick up signals that came from a tower to the satellite in space to those devices which then sent the data to devices that was under subscription of Wirefree membership to get internet without plugging in phone lines...but those are outdated and was slower than the wifi we have today...
Now not sure about THIS one, but the design looks VERY much like the older ones I saw before...but maybe they only used same housing but maybe use them for smart meters.......can't be Wifi...no way....but Cell Phone Extender is a POSSBILITY..but I think most likely its for smart meters because I have noticed them popping up here in recent past 2 years.....mostly its on streetlights on PEPCO...but BGE has them too but they don't get installed on streetlights, instead they are hard wired to the lines on a short arm...but the design is different from this one...this one here looks just like those that came out in 1996.....did THIS EXACT one appear recently, or is this one there for a long time but you notice another style that appeared recently but different design from this one??? Because the older ones in PEPCO and some in BGE are still there but abandoned....(PEPCO still there plugged in, while in BGE most of them are unplugged or even removed) and in PEPCO you would see a different one just a few poles away or even farther....or even old one gets removed and the Smartmeter gets installed......
These are everywhere in the downtown areas of Rhode Island. Never seen one outside of downtown thoguh... Some have the antenna pointed up (which looks better IMO) but most have them facing down here.
For the device...I am not sure on this one...but I actually have one myself although it's actually useless.....believe it or not!
But those things (the older ones from 1996 and on) used to be used just to pick up signals that came from a tower to the satellite in space to those devices which then sent the data to devices that was under subscription of Wirefree membership to get internet without plugging in phone lines...but those are outdated and was slower than the wifi we have today...
Now not sure about THIS one, but the design looks VERY much like the older ones I saw before...but maybe they only used same housing but maybe use them for smart meters.......can't be Wifi...no way....but Cell Phone Extender is a POSSBILITY..but I think most likely its for smart meters because I have noticed them popping up here in recent past 2 years.....mostly its on streetlights on PEPCO...but BGE has them too but they don't get installed on streetlights, instead they are hard wired to the lines on a short arm...but the design is different from this one...this one here looks just like those that came out in 1996.....did THIS EXACT one appear recently, or is this one there for a long time but you notice another style that appeared recently but different design from this one??? Because the older ones in PEPCO and some in BGE are still there but abandoned....(PEPCO still there plugged in, while in BGE most of them are unplugged or even removed) and in PEPCO you would see a different one just a few poles away or even farther....or even old one gets removed and the Smartmeter gets installed......