IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

From improved transportation to data-driven decisions, smart cities are using technology to raise the bar for the world of tomorrow.

Global spending on smart city technologies is expected to see a 22.7% increase by 2025, according to a recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan. But even as the push to create smart cities gains momentum, attention has been heavily focused on setbacks in the process or gaps between the haves and have-nots — not the successes fueled by smart city projects.

U.S. cities can expect to save $280 billion by 2030 with the deployment and use of digital twins, according to a new report. A digital twin is a simulated model of a physical process, product or service that can increase efficiency.

A digital twin uses the best available models, sensor information, and input data to mirror and predict activities/performance over the life of its corresponding physical twin. According to research, this technology is the ultimate tool for urban planners and city governments to design and build their infrastructure in a cost-effective way.

he Eastern Corridor subsea cable system in Ghana has begun its final phase of development and will be followed by 165km extension linking Accra to Ho.

The project which began in 2008 and is funded by a loan from the government of Denmark, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), for €38 million, aims to provide national data centre facilities and connect together all of its public institutions into a single communications infrastructure.

On 19 October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that health IDs would be used for COVID-19 immunisation in India. Modi first proposed these IDs on Independence Day this year, when he launched the National Digital Health Mission—a scheme to provide a digital “health ID” to all of India’s citizens. Despite the scale and ambition of this programme, the NDHM is not supported by a legal or governance framework, and consequently invited much criticism about the Modi government’s policy-making process. The NDHM’s use for the administration of vaccines against the deadly pandemic will likely compel widespread participation. While the centre has consistently drawn criticism for introducing policies that threaten digital security before enacting a data-protection law, there has been little focus on two aspects of the digital infrastructure behind it—the India Enterprise Architecture and the National Open Digital Ecosystem.

The Internet of Things (IoT), which was once exclusively discussed and debated in laboratories, think tanks, and technology corporations, has now become a mainstream notion. Rapid urbanisation, diminishing demand, and a shortage of capital availability had already brought the infrastructure industry to a point of global upheaval. The COVID-19 pandemic added to this making it even more challenging for the sector. The infrastructure industry is now becoming more reliant on digital transformation to ensure long-term viability. Almost every aspect of infrastructure is being revolutionised by technology. IoT is generating waves in the infrastructure industry by providing solutions for improving road safety, streamlining traffic management, logistics, mapping use cases, and even supporting future-focused efforts like smart cities.

In terms of using digital technology to enhance operations and realise efficiencies, the construction sector has generally trailed behind other industries.

Smart cities are the future, but ensuring the safety of their citizens, data and access to services should be considered up front — not after the fact.

By 2023, governments will likely spend up to $189 billion globally on smart city initiatives. The benefits of smart city initiatives include addressing population growth in urban areas, reducing resource depletion, cost savings, climate change, more accurate services to citizens and organizations, and more efficient transportation — all of which far outweigh the cons or risks of a connected city.

Public transport is integral to a city’s prosperity and its citizens’ wellbeing. Besides providing the infrastructure to get people from point A to B, transport operators are responding to citizens’ needs to remain connected and productive on public transport, especially longer journeys, and to travel in a safe environment, which has become even more important since the COVID-19 pandemic.

BAI Communications surveyed more than 2,400 rail users in five major cities where it operates: Hong Kong, London, New York City, Sydney, and Toronto. Respondents were asked how they saw the state of transport, connectivity, and its role in their city’s future. The data revealed widespread support for investment in 5G networks and smart city services to boost rail users’ safety and connectivity.

The UAE ranks number one with the best e-infrastructure globally, and ranks 31st for digital quality of life in 2020, according to a study that covers 81 per cent of the global population.

The Digital Quality of Life (DQL) study, covering internet affordability, quality, security, online government services, and e-infrastructure, said the UAE is followed by Sweden in the second place and Denmark in the third.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated that there is need to bridge the gap in the fiber optic cables needed to broaden the country’s broadband, stating that the country needs 120,000 additional kilometres of fibre optic cables to meet the New National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2025 target.

It added that there was need for massive investments in about 40,000 additional Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) for the country to realise its plan on broadband penetration.

Even though a report states that Nigeria is number 10, in terms of internet users in the world, stating that we have about 44 million users on the internet. We are not yet there. If you put it against our population that is still not up to a third of our population that has access to internet in the country. A country like South Africa and Egypt are ahead of Nigeria. To know we are not yet there: everything I.T items used in the offices are not produced in Nigeria – the computer, printer, telephones, cameras are all imported. The implication is the jobs are being created in China, India, UK and US and not in Nigeria. When Nigeria becomes an ICT-driven nation, we will be able to produce our own telephones, computers. But we are moving there.

The Group says it is in the process of actualising its national expansion strategy and has already rolled out networks in Kakamega, Kericho, Machakos and Meru. “AccessKenya Group is committed to delivering localised ICT solutions to every county and elevating the ICT standards of Kenya” comments Group Managing Director Jonathan Somen.

Investment and innovation in digital infrastructure is transforming the way we live. It is also driving growth and development across sectors.

Economies around the world realise this and are vying for digital technology, talent and infrastructure in the pursuit of socio-economic progress.

The message is clear: if you want to stay competitive, digitise.

"AfriNIC will be allocating IPv4 for the next two years, meaning people are not in urgency mode compared to other regions. Organizations are still in their comfort zone," said Adiel Akplogan, CEO of AfriNIC, the regional Internet registrar.

There are those who suggest that the disparate state of the connectivity services market in South Africa is due, in part, to the various business models that exist and the need to make technology work.

The report, by South Africa-based telecommunications analysts BMI-TechKnowledge, which is represented in 40 African countries, said over 80 percent of African internet use is routed through satellite connections.

Meeting under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee, the leaders took stock of the current progress.

The pilot aims to provide increased value to ISPs by issuing certificates based on public key cryptography. Public keys are widely distributed but private keys are secret -- messages are encrypted with the public key and can only be decrypted with the private key to ensure confidentiality. AfricNIC officials discussed the project last week at the AfriNIC-12 Public Policy Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

Computer vision and machine learning specialist, Univrses, will work with the Swedish Transport Administration to digitise and manage roadside infrastructure.

Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration, is working with computer vision and machine learning specialist Univrses to help optimise the country’s road infrastructure management.

CityNext offers cities a broad portfolio of technology solutions such as business software, devices and apps, cloud solutions, and big data platforms, from Microsoft and its partners to help city governments overcome urbanisation and governance challenges in areas from administration to health and transportation.