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  • Author Author: Instructorman
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Future proofing smart city data communication infrastrucure

Many municipalities are interested in investing in smart city infrastructure to monitor and manage resource consumption, traffic congestion, et cetera, and to add value to urban living through intelligent analysis of data gathered from sensor networks.  The technology that enables monitoring and management on urban scales is emerging.  One issue that is holding back many municipalities is the question of what infrastructure to embed in order to allow data communication for all the anticipated sensors that may be installed in the future.

 

What do you think is the best strategy that will future proof data communication infrastructure in a smart city context?

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  • I went to an event last night with a panel discussion featuring Techstars, a startup accelerator, GE ventures, and Bosch's new ventures and the founder of Wearables start up Jiobit.. There were over 100 attending here in Chicago.

     

    An interesting discussion that is relevant to this thread on Smart City infrastructure...

     

    Nearly all the questions asked after the panel discussion were on Smart City. I didn't realize myself how much this was of interest to the area. I would have thought industrial IoT would be front and center. (However, they did mention that one third of all capital investment dollars are going into industrial IoT

     

    Anyway, someone asked a question about infrastructure for Smart City's to the panel's experts. The question suggested LoRa and Sig Fox.

     

    None on the panel would touch it. The subject was too complicated to answer.

     

    Then the Director of Techstars offered this: "the entrepreneurs will decide." And the other panelists and concurred said it will be open source...there will be compromises...but the market will decide."

     

    The founder of Jiobit offered one more thing that is a useful way to consider the question of any technology for smart cities: whatever technology or chipsets an entrepreneur uses, it will have to be from vendors who will be around for at least 4 to 5 years. Right now, Iot is in its infancy. Cpmpanies come and go and get rolled up and bought out. There's too much change going on. Until there is a shake-out, no one knows what will truly happen.

     

    Randall

  • in reply to rscasny

    Thanks Randall, your comments on what is happening in Chicago provide valuable perspective.

    I have noticed a recent uptick in municipal interest in smart city technology (since the start of 2016) through my work in a western Canadian smart city alliance.

     

    I agree that IoT/Smart City technologies are in their infancy and that infancy will cause a lot of churn.  This is not what municipal leaders want to hear.  They want to know there are worked out solutions available that they can pour tax payer money into and allow them to declare their cities "smart".  The market will decide what technologies are adopted, but the market in this case is municipalities.  This is not like the consumer market that decided VHS would win out over Betamax.  The market for smart city infrastructure consists of city planners, CTOs, CIOs, and ultimately, city councils that vote on budgets.  Supply chain stability will be an important consideration in selecting vendors.

     

    Mark

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  • in reply to rscasny

    Thanks Randall, your comments on what is happening in Chicago provide valuable perspective.

    I have noticed a recent uptick in municipal interest in smart city technology (since the start of 2016) through my work in a western Canadian smart city alliance.

     

    I agree that IoT/Smart City technologies are in their infancy and that infancy will cause a lot of churn.  This is not what municipal leaders want to hear.  They want to know there are worked out solutions available that they can pour tax payer money into and allow them to declare their cities "smart".  The market will decide what technologies are adopted, but the market in this case is municipalities.  This is not like the consumer market that decided VHS would win out over Betamax.  The market for smart city infrastructure consists of city planners, CTOs, CIOs, and ultimately, city councils that vote on budgets.  Supply chain stability will be an important consideration in selecting vendors.

     

    Mark

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