The smart city market is projected to grow from $81 billion globally in 2018 to over $158 billion in 2022, according to IDC’s Worldwide Semiannual Smart Cities Spending Guide. In a smart city, internet of things (IoT) networks can be deployed to create applications that will change the manner in which residents coexist with technology. Soon, parking structures will tell drivers which spots are open, smart outdoor lamps will automatically adjust for weather and climate conditions and green buildings will be able to monitor air quality and optimize energy consumption. The IoT will enable us to constantly sense and process information from the outside world in an effort to bring efficiency to everyday life in a city.
However, these advancements aren’t possible without the adequate wireless connectivity that evolves with these technologies to meet escalating bandwidth demands.
Smart Cities Are Already On Their Way
A 2016 survey by the United States Conference of Mayors demonstrated that smart city IoT projects in cities of every size are well underway in key areas, including transportation, energy efficiency, government services and health care. For an example, look no further than Los Angeles. The city is installing new LEDs in 4,500 miles of streetlights. This will increase visibility in those areas, leading to safer roads and areas surrounding them. These bulbs will also tap into an interconnected system that reports any malfunctions that may arise, speeding up the replacement process. Overseas, Nanjing, China, installed sensors in 10,000 taxis, 7,000 buses and 1 million private cars to help track and monitor traffic patterns.
A more recent example of smart city momentum is the completion of Seattle’s SR 99 tunnel, known as the “smartest tunnel” to date. Even when commuters are 200 feet underground, the tunnel’s 13 miles of fiber optic cables, 95 miles of electrical wiring, 15 miles of lights and 8 miles of heat detectors constantly monitor conditions within the tunnel for the benefit of public safety and communication. Throughout the entirety of the two-mile tunnel, travelers have complete LTE connection to use their phones and be alerted of emergencies.
Network Infrastructure Is The Key
A study by Ericsson predicts that 70% of IoT devices will use cellular connections by 2022. Smart cities will demand robust network connectivity to have this array of devices reliably communicate amongst themselves. These cities, as is the present-day case with small and large buildings and venues, must utilize a combination of distributed antenna systems (DAS), repeaters, small cells and Wi-Fi to create a blanketed network across the entirety of the city. Once the baseline network requirements are built, the IoT networks can be deployed to make cities practically run themselves.
There are five infrastructure components required to run an IoT network in a smart city: wireless networks that facilitate device connectivity, sensors to monitor the outside world, systems that can convert the acquired data, tools to analyze that same data and data centers to store all of that data. Keeping this historical data for the future gives IoT systems the ability to continually learn and more reliably predict future outcomes, a key component in optimizing the way cities work.
To understand the challenges of building large scale networks for smart cities, it's best to look at existing isolated projects with functional similarities. Sports stadiums, or any venue that hosts thousands of people in one area at the same time, aren't inherently capable of supporting adequate cellular connectivity to send a picture, text or even a phone call. In order to improve cellular coverage and capacity, the majority of these venues install DAS, with many strategically "hidden" remotes and antennas for all major U.S. carriers in the venue. It isn't just the density of users that diminishes the connectivity -- it can also be the architecture and building materials that disrupt cell service.
Accounting for this across an entire city (indoor and outdoor) is a substantial undertaking, especially because city officials and wireless operators will need to layer a substantial number of IoT devices on top of these networks.
Preparing For Connectivity
The central requirement for smart city applications that continuously operate at the same time is the ability to handle an ever-growing amount of data in transit at all times. As such, wireless infrastructure will essentially be the fabric of every smart city. High network-connectivity speeds and density, which will likely be provided by a combination of 5G and 4G/LTE, are the only way to fulfill the promise of this technological milestone.
Moving into the future, growing urban populations mean that smart city construction projects, such as the SR-99 Tunnel, will become more common throughout the United States and around the world. The innovation offered by smart cities and IoT networks will maintain living standards for the public and establish efficiency standards to bring technology into the future.
