When Eva Blum-Dumontet, a research officer for London-based non-profit Privacy International, attends conferences, she likes to ask people she meets if they live in a smart city.
The answer is often “no”, she says, and that is because respondents are unaware that they are from one of the many cities pouring money into such initiatives. A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic data collection sensors to supply information which is used to manage assets and resources efficiently.
Smart city is a great buzzword. The term envisages a city where information and communication technologies like ‘the internet of things’ are connected to enhance the quality and performance of urban cities and thus urban living itself.
But where do banks fit into the smart city vision?
One aspect of how banks may help a smart city to develop will be how banks can use their own digital capabilities to support the smart city ambitions of a city’s political leaders and public servants. Through its research arm, BNP Paribas is one of several banks discussing how a bank could lend its local transaction data analytics and insights to help city planners plan and run services.
How much cities need to invest in getting a smart lighting project started depends on the types of existing street lights and the cost of the replacements.
While a discussion around implementing Smart City initiatives can often get city planners and managers excited about the opportunities that technology can enable, the budget available is often the biggest stumbling block to getting started.
Weiterlesen: Starting Smart City Journeys With Connected Lighting
Fundamental infrastructure is required today to ensure that smart city innovation can be sustained: effective mobile coverage systems.
Commuter vs smart city
You’re driving to work in the middle of rush hour, nightmare! Yet the traffic keeps flowing because the lights react in real-time to prevent a jam. A waste collection vehicle pulls out in front of you on a narrow road, but instead of stopping at every bin it keeps on moving because sensors inform it to only dispose of waste in the bins that are full.
Connected technology is ushering in a new era of “Smart Cities”, which promises to improve the quality of life for billions of people around the world.
Smart cities — which are using technology to make urban areas safer, more efficient, and more livable — represent the transformative power of the Internet of Things. Now, as the new 5G wireless standard is deployed, data transfer will be even faster and more reliable. The transition from 4G to 5G will facilitate the shift to ubiquitous connectivity.