THE ROLE OF 5G IN SMART CITIES

4G technology was an extension of 3G to digitize mobile data transmission and improve the way we use our handsets and computers. 5G is powering the future of the internet of things (IoT). 5G takes a three-pronged approach:

•  It enhances the number of connected nodes,so that even billions of devices can be connected through the same ecosystem.
• It improves the speed of mobile broadband. That’s not as important with many IoT devices because they transmit a limited amount of data,but bandwidth is important for smart city video surveillance,for example.

• It delivers ultra-reliable, machine-time communication with greatly reduced latency.While 4G latency was 100-150 milliseconds, 5G latency is approaching just one millisecond, thereby enabling latency-dependent applications like self-driving vehicles or remote surgery.

When we think about 5G, we typically think of smartphones and applications,but when designing for 5G infrastructure, it’s important to also look at the whole ecosystem that enables a smart city’s mobile network. It’s not just about the device, base station and telecom tower; it’s about the cloud,the data centers and the applications where all the information is being collected, analyzed and processed. 

There are already simple smart city applications like smart streetlights that can be remotely dimmed, but 5G is also enabling surveillance applications like monitoring for pollution and other issues like gas leakage, water leakage, carbon monoxide or smoke. These can improve the city’s overall safety as well as speed its response to infrastructure issues. 

Smart surveillance requires deploying cameras, microphones, temperature sensors, smoke detectors and other related devices and connecting them to an application that analyzes the data in real time and then initiates an action based on what it finds.  A temperature sensor or smoke detector might issue an alarm, for example, and that alarm could be automatically relayed to the nearest firehouse. 

Use cases like this are all about how many devices are connected in the field, how quickly the data is gathered and analyzed, and how quickly the alarm is issued to the appropriate authorities. These monitoring devices can save a lot on manpower costs and help prevent serious property damage that might occur if the fire department had to wait for someone to notice the smoke or fire, report it, and then receive a call from the 911 dispatch center. 

Some of these use cases are already enabled by 4G technology. In 2020 there were approximately 20 billion devices connected, and 54 percent of those were various IoT devices, so there are already more IoT devices than mobile phones. But within the next four or five years, we expect up to 75 billion devices to be connected, and without 5G technology, this wouldn’t be possible. 

When you consider the whole process of building a data center, findings rights-of-way, deploying 5G wireless equipment, and adding devices and applications, it takes time. By now, forward-thinking city managers should have started looking into planning for 5G and IoT infrastructure so their cities can be ready for those 75 billion devices by 2025. 

Planners and engineers working on smart cities and their devices need to consider several factors, including:

• 5G  coverage in the community
• Edge data center locations, power and connectivity 
• Device and network security to minimize the potential for hacking
• Data-processing applications that can ingest large amounts of data, with AI capabilities that can take action based on data analysis.

5G wireless connectivity can help eliminate the need to run cabling to IoT devices, shaving years off deployment times and millions off deployment costs. Of course, the 5G infrastructure needs to be in place, so cities should encourage mobile operators to deploy macro cells and small cells that provide blanket coverage of these high-performance networks. For the city’s part, it should try to smooth operators’ paths to 5G with streamlined zoning and permitting procedures. With mutual cooperation between operators and municipal governments, most cities can count on having 5G infrastructure within the next 2-3 years. Given that timeframe, it’s definitely not too early to begin planning for smart city deployments. 

Smart city technologies will make cities safer and more efficient while improving the quality of life for residents. 5G mobile wireless connectivity is the glue that will hold the ecosystem together.