IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The "smart city" sounds like a great idea, but it doesn't really exist in any meaningful sense. The smart city is actually a collection of information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled applications, primarily in the domains of public utilities, transportation and traffic management, citizen interaction with government, education and energy use, with some applications joined together in one of many various ways to increase effectiveness. Most technology vendors' smart-city solutions are really just collections of public-sector or enterprise offerings gathered together into a convenient, and carefully thought-out, marketing concept.

What underpins smartness in those cities that come closest to achieving a complete vision is pervasive, dense networks of connected sensors, actuators and other devices -- in other words, the Internet of Things pressed into the service of multiple domains of city life, work and administration. Once this is grasped, it becomes clearer that telcos have an opportunity to enable increasing smartness in cities: The fundamental enablers of a smart city aren't any of the application domains; they are the network and the platforms.

Weiterlesen: Can Telcos Deliver 'Smart City as a Service'?

Information and communication technology can be a useful tool in helping cities like congested ones in countries like India and China improve their safety, cleanliness, and sustainability, according to a Worldwatch Institute study.

More than half of the world’s population live in urban areas, with many suffering from inadequate transportation, sub-standard buildings, lack of sanitation and poor public safety.

Weiterlesen: ICT useful in creating sustainable cities – Worldwatch Institute

Smart city and ICT market opportunities will offer billions to network operators, says Heavy Reading Insider

"Smart cities" and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure offers business opportunities ranging in the billions for network operators, according to the latest report from Heavy Reading Insider (www.heavyreading.com/insider), a subscription research service from Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com).

Smart Cities: The Opportunity for Wireline Network Operators delves into what a smart city really is, identifies exemplar developments, proposes a simple model of a smart city and its components and shows how islands of smart technology and processes can be joined together. It summarizes the relevant smart city products, services and solutions of several leading technology providers, indicating which of them are sold direct to city authorities and which can be used by wireline operators to help build a compelling smart city solution of their own. Finally, it profiles eight technology vendors and describes the activities of three network operators taking different approaches to capturing the opportunities presented by smart cities.

Weiterlesen: ICT & 'Smart City' Investments Can Be Worth Billions, Heavy Reading Finds

More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas, and countries such as India and China are in need of hundreds of additional cities to accommodate growing populations. People in many cities suffer from inadequate transportation, sub-standard buildings, lack of sanitation, and poor public safety, highlighting the need for sustainable and livable urban planning. Information and communication technology (ICT) can be a useful tool in helping cities improve their safety, cleanliness, and sustainability, according to Diana Lind, contributing author to Worldwatch Institute's State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity.

Weiterlesen: Using Information and Communications Technology to Create Cohesive, Sustainable Cities