During the Connected Communities Conference in December 2021, North Carolina Secretary of Technology Jim Weaver inspired the attendees when he stated that broadband deployment in the state would be one of his top priorities. The pandemic has made it very evident that access to higher speed internet can make the difference in whether our children can get a world class education, or whether we can continue to work remotely, for the near and immediate future. I am very excited to hear Secretary Weaver’s plans for expanding broadband access in our State for these reasons, but we cannot ignore the other benefit of high speed broadband across our state, the Internet of Things (IOT) and the Smart City.
Yes, the time has come for us to become a Smart State!
America is a country on the move. According to a report from Freddie Mac, the population in the South and West grew seven times faster than in the Northeast and Midwest between 2017 and 2019. Some smaller and medium-sized metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) have seen faster growth rates than larger MSAs, and, for most locations, the suburbs are growing faster than the cities themselves. So, what does this all mean? As smaller metro areas face the challenges and opportunities associated with an influx of residents, now is the time to look at how smart technologies can be used to help improve the quality of life for those who live, work or play in the area.
Weiterlesen: US: Three steps for leveraging smart technologies to support growing cities of any size
The “smart city” concept has been adopted by cities and counties globally. While the term is inexact, a typical vision is of an IT-enabled environment that efficiently and effectively delivers public services; enables informed, proactive decision-making by the leadership; and promotes sustainability through better resource utilization.
To deliver on this vision, smart cities require a massive deployment of information and communications technologies (ICT), including wired and wireless technologies. Included in this ICT array would be a multitude of networks and sensors in an Internet of Things (IoT) framework that permeates all sectors of modern life. Applications include smart electric grids, intelligent transportation systems, integrated monitoring systems and decision-support systems, to name the most prominent.
Weiterlesen: US: Building smart cities and counties with the Infrastructure Act
Residents can now update their government-issued licenses and registrations, receive proactive reminders and complete transactions through the new Texas by Texas digital assistant platform.
Earlier today, the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) launched a new digital assistant platform called Texas by Texas (TxT), allowing residents to access state services online.
To access the platform, residents can create an online account at https://txt.texas.gov/.
Once an account is created, users can manage their government-issued licenses and registrations, receive proactive reminders about different items and complete transactions.
Weiterlesen: US: Texas DIR Launches Citizen-Facing Digital Assistant Platform
The goal will lay out a path for the City to reach carbon-neutrality and provide a framework for reducing emissions, helping avoid some of the worst impacts of climate change.
Baltimore has updated the goals for its Climate Action Plan, which include going carbon-neutral by 2045.
Mayor Brandon Scott has set a series of targets and the administration is also aiming for a 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2025, and a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
Weiterlesen: US: Maryland: Baltimore updates its climate action targets