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Connectivity enables smart cities, smart countries and a smarter world

The influx of wireless connectivity, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and the Internet of Things (IoT) has had dramatic effects on individuals’ lifestyles and the day-to-day operations of companies. For the public sector and increasingly, many in the private sector, connectivity is also improving the well being of the communities being served, writes Hubert Da Costa, the vice president of EMEA at Cradlepoint.

On a consumer level, appliances and devices on wireless networks make it possible to start a coffee machine, washer, dryer, heater, cooler, outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, music system, and a million other systems — all while in bed, on the road, or even out of town. It’s a gateway to levels of efficiency and data that many of us never even dreamed of. It’s that type of efficiency and data that has cities, counties and countries imagining a smarter world. In many ways, it’s already happening, we just don’t realise it.

Beyond smart cities

Gartner defines a smart city as “an urbanised area where multiple sectors cooperate to achieve sustainable outcomes through the analysis of contextual real-time information sharing among sector-specific information and operational technology.” The rise of the smart city has been enabled by consistent innovations in wireless technology, as well as by the proliferation of reliable, affordable, and secure connectivity. Unlike in the home, where IoT applications are confined to relatively small spaces, there are thousands and thousands of ways that wireless technology can make cities and states run smarter, faster, and more cost-effective. The potential is virtually limitless.

Wireless connectivity improves communities

Given tight budgets and pressure to get the most out of every taxpayer pound, public sector IT departments are searching for new ways to do more with less. Sectors leading adoption are government departments, local authorities, water authorities, emergency services, law enforcement and education. They are maximising the proliferation of sensors and 4G LTE connectivity.

Mobile devices

• WiFi-connected laptops and tablets enable police officers to do more of their work out in the field, giving them more hours each day to focus on keeping communities safe.
• First responders use 4G LTE for mission-critical communications.
• Connected school buses enable educators to foster in-vehicle learning during field trips and trips to sporting events.

 Sensors everywhere — for everything

Cities and counties are using sensors to acquire more information and make better resource decisions for their occupants:

• Smart apparel with embedded sensors monitor firefighters’ location, body position, heart and respiratory rates and body temperature.
• Public sector administrators avoid emergencies, reduce emissions, and save money by monitoring the structural integrity of buildings, bridges and dams.
• In winter, some cities use sensors to track which streets have been plowed after snowstorms.
• Environmental departments access real-time readings of pollution levels, wildlife counts and water levels.
• In large cities, sensors are being used in bins and bin lorries to monitor if they are full. This helps regulate pick-up schedules and creates operational efficiencies.

Remote controls for streamlined processes

Remote management saves valuable time and ensures that key data leads to improved cost-effectiveness:

• Real-time updates regarding power, heating, and cooling usage give organisations opportunities to regulate their in-office controls as needed.
• Water managers use SCADA (coded signals over communication channels to remote equipment) to remotely collect and analyse water samples, predict usage patterns and challenges, control valves and more.
• Entities that place sensors in streets and traffic signals use data to guide traffic patterns in a way that’s fruitful for local commuters.

Surveillance for improved public safety

Wireless technology enables self-contained surveillance cameras that gather important information:

• Law enforcement agencies use dashboard and body cameras to monitor and record encounters between officers and the public.
• Cameras enable law dispatchers to remotely examine incident scenes in real time to accurately determine the right number of officers to deploy.
• Police use cameras to remotely spot stolen vehicles, theft, illegal dumping and suspicious activities.

Data on the move

For years people have been buzzing about the concept of smart roads, an infrastructure that that could eventually lead to driverless cars. We’re not there yet, but the surfaces we drive on are becoming a lot less passive.

• Sensors embedded in streets and traffic signals capture data that leads to decisions affecting congestion and energy use.
• While still in the trail stage, solar-powered roads would transform transportation. Paved with durable solar cells, the average highway would be able to capture and store solar energy, which could then be used to operate digital traffic signage and charge electric vehicles as they pass by.

Smart applications are making our cities counties more and more efficient, but it’s only possible with constant, secure wireless connectivity. The ability to keep stationary and mobile locations connected is easier than ever, enabling the list of applications and improved efficiencies to continue to grow. Our smart cities will soon grow into smart counties – and it doesn’t stop there either. Marine, aerospace and aviation industries are forging ahead too. However, maybe that’s a story for another day.