Today we have smartphones, smart TVs and, before long, smart cities. Take a look at different countries, and you’ll notice these cities growing all over the world. Why are these hi-tech, interconnected urban areas becoming so popular, and what’s next for them?
Other “smart” technologies, like phones and home appliances, became popular for their convenience or versatility. The rise of connected cities tells a similar story, but it goes deeper than that. Like many technological advancements, these hi-tech urban areas come mostly out of need. To understand why the cities of the future look this way, you need to know the shortcomings of today’s metropolises.
- Börje Ekholm says Europe is years behind in its digital capabilities
- Urges Europe to accelerate its adoption of 5G
- Signals more R&D investments in 5G core
- Swedish vendor holds up well in Q2
Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm is worried about Europe.
“The problem we have is that Europe is rapidly falling behind in digital infrastructure,” he stated during the vendor’s second quarter earnings presentation. “It's behind in 4G penetration, probably by… an average two to three years – that has led to a lot of loss of economic value in Europe as a continent.
“Data has become a matter of geopolitics and geoeconomics”
On the January 29, 2020, the European Commission (EC) released the “Commission Work Programme 2020″. Under the second priority, “A Europe fit for the digital age” – the EC announced its intention to put forward for consultation a rich array of strategic documents outlining Europe’s digital strategy, writes Secure Chorus founder Elisabetta Zaccaria.
Read more: European Digital Strategy and the Global Race for Digital Sovereignty
The coronavirus pandemic has brought many parts of public life to a halt. The European Youth Event (EYE), which was set to gather 9,000 young people in Strasbourg at the end of May, could not take place this year along with many other political and youth conferences. As a result, it has become more difficult for citizens to make their voices heard. A possible solution could be moving democratic processes to the Internet and participating digitally. Whereas so-called e-democracy comes with some risks, it could also be an opportunity for the European Union to explore new forms of debate.
Read more: EU: E-democracy: How to participate in politics digitally
New research outlines trends for the coming decade and an action plan with some controversial recommendations to inform the decisions of policymakers around the upcoming Digital Services Act
The European Parliament has published research outlining technology trends for the next decade, such as 6G, autonomous transport and personalised healthcare, along with recommendations to enable European countries to be at the forefront of digital, including the creation of a regional internet.
Read more: 6G, European internet, censorship: EU Parliament sets out vision for digital services