Creating smart cities
The digitalisation of cities, underpinned by emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, edge computing and the further application of Big Data solutions, will be key to the transformation of cities to meet these challenges.
With 55% of the world’s population living in cities, digitalisation can play a key role in tackling many of our cities’ most pressing challenges.
Cities today face a range of challenges such as pollution, congestion and impaired mobility, personal safety concerns and economic inequality. These pressures accentuate the need for investment in economic and environmental sustainability to become future-ready and to improve citizens’ quality of life.
Our IoT platform and technology are supporting cities to become smarter to adapt to the demands of urban growth, as well as improve the lives of the citizens within them.
Factors driving urban change
There are many factors driving urban change. However, the following two have become particularly relevant:
- The increasing focus on climate impact and the need to meet ambitious targets. For example, the EU’s goal of 100 climate-neutral European cities by 2030 (as outlined in the Mission Board for climate-neutral and smart cities ) is a key driving factor behind urban change in Europe.
- More recently, the reshaping of work and learning as a result of COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus the need for adaptability and reliable technological solutions, and the need for governments to use data to make decisions that protect and enhance citizens’ lives.
Our Smart City platform
Vodafone’s Smart Cities Platform creates a single platform to monitor a wide range of its services. The Platform builds on existing systems to develop smart ‘vertical’ services, utilising Big Data capabilities enabled by ThingWorx Analytics.
The Platform is designed to provide transparency to public bodies, and by combining analytical capabilities with the integration of multiple data sources, it enables efficiency improvements and higher quality municipal services:
Energy
Using mobility data in different areas to adapt lighting needs, optimising energy usage to demand patterns and improving efficiency.
Mobility
Using citizen mobility data to identify required changes to bus frequencies or stops, making the most of limited public transport resources.
Environment
Using water consumption data and patterns to predict breakdowns/faults, ensuring efficient and effective continuity of services.
Security
Using security cameras to monitor capacities in public areas, allowing cities to better manage social distancing for COVID-19.
Our strategy in action
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Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
We aim to build a inclusive and sustainable digital society. Through our connectivity and digital innovations (SDG 9) and through our partnerships (SDG 17) we can accelerate and scale delivery across multiple SDGs.
