The benefits
of ICT and
smart cities
solutions: FAQs

The National League of Cities annual State of the Cities report tracks mayoral priorities across the nation. The most recent number one? Infrastructure. While each city's infrastructure investment wish list differs, commonalities include quality of transportation signals and lighting, waste management, emergency management and digital connectivity.

To help accomplish these aims, some governments are turning to advanced technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) to create smart cities. Information and communication technology (ICT) is foundational for developing smart city infrastructure. Here's an FAQ that covers what you need to know about ICT and smart cities—and how these solutions can help reshape the future of life in communities across the country.

ICT refers to technologies and communications networks that facilitate digital and electronic communications. It is a key enabler for smart cities, serving as the technology backbone that allows cities to seamlessly and securely transmit data from one device to another to support smart transportation systems, urban development and capital improvement projects, public safety programs, and more.

ICT is mostly composed of emerging technologies, which provide the IT capacity, bandwidth, computing resources and data management capabilities communities need to create a sustainable smart city infrastructure.

Smart city ICT infrastructure solutions encompass a broad range of technologies that provide the network, software and data infrastructure necessary to support smart city development. Examples can include:

• Cloud and multi-access edge computing: This provides the processing and storage necessary to support the data-intensive applications that allow smart cities to function.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: These provide the data processing and automation capabilities that municipalities need to effectively deploy and analyze data and make data-driven service improvements that enhance residents' quality of life.
• IoT technology: IoT underlies many of the connected, sensor-based networks and devices that provide the data that guides smart cities.
• 5G: Building on the foundation of 4G LTE, 5G provides the ultrafast, secure, high-performing and reliable network connectivity that municipalities need to transmit data from one connected device to another as quickly as possible—ensuring the technology ecosystem that supports a smart city functions optimally.

These emerging technologies are integral to building smart city ICT infrastructure. They provide the technology that supports transportation, healthcare, education, energy and utility programs driving smart city development.

Take, for example, the issue of traffic management:

• IoT-enabled sensors embedded in asphalt can measure when a vehicle passes between two magnetometers, accurately calculating the average speed, while those installed on traditional traffic lights can measure the number of road users at an intersection, helping to determine optimal light timing and crosswalk signal sequencing
• Proximity-sensing LED streetlights can improve visibility for all road users by illuminating according to traffic density
• The data these sensors collect is then transmitted via a wireless connection and stored in the cloud—which has the necessary computing capacity to power all the intelligent, data-driven technologies and applications that allow city officials to analyze the data and deliver solutions, thus allowing communities to run smarter and more efficiently.

There are a range of problems that can be tackled via smart city solutions:

• Public safety: Law enforcement can use real-time video analytics to improve incident response and situational awareness. Autonomous drones can even assist with operations. Intelligent lighting and sound monitoring in spaces such as parks can detect when citizens might be endangered and enable a faster response by law enforcement.
• Waste management: Public MEC infrastructure can optimize collection and scheduling, lower costs, cut emissions and create economic prosperity for the local area.
• Emergency response: Remotely controlled miniature robots and hyper-accurate area mapping from sensors can aid in disaster responses.
• Energy-efficient smart buildings: Buildings with sensor-based technology to monitor their energy use can allow municipalities to make more informed decisions to optimize resources, such as implementing automated systems to turn off lights and adjust room temperatures to reduce energy consumption at different times of day. This has helped clients reduce carbon emissions by as much as 40%.