IT SEEMS that the term “connected cities” has a double meaning.
Firstly, it could mean cities that are connected within its own boundaries.
Secondly, it could mean two or more cities that are connected to each other, perhaps wirelessly, and not necessarily physically.
As I see it, both meanings would have its own value, depending on what vantage point is applicable. For purposes of this article however, I would prefer to discuss the first meaning, in the context of connectivity within.
In that context however, there is also a double meaning. Firstly, it could mean the wired or wireless connections within a city. Secondly however, it could mean the sensors and applications within a city that would enable it to maintain an “Internet of Things” (IOT) infrastructure, otherwise known as a “Machine to Machine” (M2M) infrastructure.
I have always said that a city could not be smart if it is not green, and it is not enough for a city to be green, because a city has to be smart as well. If it has to be smart, then it also has to be mobile and agile, otherwise it could not even be considered as intelligent.
It goes without saying that in order for a city to be smart, it also has to be fully connected, not only via internet and mobile, but also via other non-commercial means of connectivity, including television white space (TVWS) and all kinds of radio frequencies (RF).
As a matter of fact, many of us have already disregarded RF, forgetting that it is still the technology that supports the supposedly modern means of connectivity such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
I have “invented” SIGMAS as a pneumonic device that could help us remember the characteristics of a smart city. It stands for Safe, Intelligent, Green, Mobile, Agile and Sustainable.
It is only proper that “Sustainable” should be included, because there is no use of having all the other characteristics in place, if these are not sustainable. As a matter of fact, sustainability is now the global criterion for all development plans and programs, as evidenced by the adoption of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A careful scrutiny of these goals would tell us that SIGMAS is written all over the place, not only in terms of connectivity, but also in terms of overall sustainability. (To be continued)/PN
