Reviving smart cities with edge computing and 5G

Source: Smart Cities World Published: February 1st. 2021

As we recover from Covid-19, we have the opportunity to rethink our cities. During the pandemic we’ve been more reliant on our local communities as well as on technology – and these two things will come together to create new smarter cities. With more people becoming aware of the realities of climate change, future cities are likely to be set up very differently when it comes to both energy and transport
All autonomous transport, and much of the technology future smart cities will depend on 5G and edge computing. The latter is essentially a technological version of what we’ve been doing throughout the pandemic - relying on what’s nearby. This enables greater resiliency as well as more information to be added into the system to create ever smarter cities.

5G networks offer increased cell density, higher data speed and lower network latency. In 5G, more processing is being pushed to the edge of the network, enabling the implementation of low latency applications. In addition, cell site densification provides increased network capacity, more data bandwidth and higher mobile data speeds to the consumers. This network densification will enable advanced analytics for real time decision-making. The applications of 5G technology can help cities save money, resources and create cleaner, safer and healthier places for people to live.

5G and edge computing go hand in hand. 5G increases the amount of data that can be communicated, while edge computing uses data to run calculations locally as opposed to sending it elsewhere to be analysed and acted upon. This is often faster and more resilient to disruption. Combined, these two technologies hold massive promise and are the preeminent emerging technologies of today.

According to studies by IDC, worldwide 5G connections are set to grow to 1.01bn in 2023 and worldwide spending on edge computing will reach $250bn in 2024. This presents an enormous ecosystem opportunity to transform cities by infusing next generation technology.

Smart cities aim to improve the quality of life for residents. Key technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, artificial intelligence and analytics can be leveraged to cover a whole gamut including waste management, smart parking, e-governance, electricity and public lighting, education, health, traffic management, and smart buildings. It is the combination of edge computing, 5G capabilities and industrial Internet of Things devices which underpins the efficient use of tech, has the potential to enable smarter supply chains, and better equip us to handle disruption.

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Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

Chelsea McCullough