 Menu

(https://www.thinkrf.com)

Smart Cities – Powered by Wireless

Technologies
Posted October 9, 2018 by Dr. Nikhil Adnani

Smart cities may have been a buzzword a few years ago, but today they are quickly be-
coming a reality. Rapid advancements in connectivity, the Internet of Things, and data
analysis are driving innovation and powering entirely new applications. From Kansas City
to London to Singapore, cities around the world are implementing new technology and
transforming the way people live, work, play, and get around.

In the US, for example, the average commuter spends about 42 hours a year stuck in traffic
(https://www.newsweek.com/us-commuters-spend-about-42-hours-year-stuck-traffic-
jams-365970), and that number is significantly higher in large cities like Los Angeles or New
York. In a smart city, connected traffic lights can analyze traffic patterns and adjust in real-
time to reduce congestion and delays. Another application will be to connect utility grids
with city infrastructure. Today’s cities consume (https://www.information-age.com/ad-
vanced-smart-cities-world-123470745/) 70% of the world’s total energy, meaning even mi-
nor improvements can dramatically reduce energy usage, pollution, and costs.

In other cases, public safety infrastructure can be connected to a centralized monitoring

system to respond to emergencies more quickly. And even the more mundane sounding
applications can have a big impact on people’s lives. For example, some cities are in-
stalling sensors on garbage cans (https://hub.beesmart.city/solutions/smart-waste-man-
agement-solutions-in-smart-cities) to automatically alert workers when they need to be
emptied.

So what do all these applications have in common? The answer is that they all depend on
wireless networks. Without wireless connectivity, smart cities simply cannot exist.
Wireless Networks are the Backbone of Smart Cities
No matter where you are or what you’re trying to achieve, the first step to building any
smart city is to implement robust, reliable, and high speed wireless networks. These are the
backbone of all of the potential smart city applications.

Within cities, various wireless signal types and standards will be used, such as Wi-Fi,
3G/4G/LTE, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and others. 5G wireless and other future standards will
also be critical to implementing applications that rely on high bandwidth and low latency
connections, while dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) may become a key
standard for enabling fully autonomous vehicles. (https://www.thinkrf.com/road-self-driv-
ing-cars-paved-wireless-signals/)

RF Interference, Security, and Capacity Challenges

With so many different signal types in such a dense and complex environment, establish-
ing reliable connections and avoiding RF interference will be extremely challenging for city
planners and engineers. Many of the applications mentioned above depend on real-time
data sharing and continuous connectivity, meaning any disruption can cause serious prob-
lems. In the case of traffic signals or utility grids, a loss in connectivity could bring the entire
city to a standstill.

For the same reasons, security will also be a major concern. Many current smart city tech-
nologies depend on wireless IP networks which are increasingly vulnerable to hackers. In
the US, utility grids have already been attacked, (https://www.popsci.com/hackers-are-
attacking-electric-grid#page-4) and this vulnerability will increase as more devices and
meters are connected. Going forward, security needs to be a vital part of any smart city de-
ployment from the beginning.

Finally, capacity and speed will be a major hurdle for smart cities to overcome. The amount
of traffic and data that will be transmitted and used will be staggering. The scale of con-
necting entire cities is something that has not be done before and is not possible given our
current wireless technologies. 5G wireless will play an important role in overcoming the bar-
riers by providing high speed and high bandwidth connectivity, but cities will need to come
up with unique solutions depending on the applications they are enabling.

Tomorrow’s Smart City – Powered by the Wireless

Spectrum
Smart cities have the potential to reshape how we live, work, play, and commute. But de-
ploying and monitoring smart city infrastructure will require a completely new approach by
technology companies, wireless service providers, and governments. These actors will
need to work together when designing smart city infrastructure and deploying it in the field.

Fully interconnected cities can reduce traffic congestion, improve public safety, increase
efficiency, and connect people in ways that can’t yet be imagined. And behind all of these
innovative applications and technologies are the wireless networks that power it all and
enable the sharing of data and information across systems. When you look at it this way,
it’s easy to see how the future of smart cities depends on the wireless spectrum.

ThinkRF is the leader in software-defined spectrum analysis to help you monitoring wire-
less signals in complex environments. To learn more about the equipment that can help
you deploy and monitor smart cities, download our recent whitepaper – Seeing the Full Pic-
ture: Introducing Software-Defined Spectrum Analysis. (https://thinkrf.com/content/see-
ing-full-picture-fv)

filed under: Insights (https://www.thinkrf.com/category/insights/)

Products
Real-Time Spectrum Analyzers (https://www.thinkrf.com/products/real-time-spectrum-analyzers/)
RF Downconverters (https://www.thinkrf.com/products/rf-downconverters/)
Spectrum Analysis Software (https://www.thinkrf.com/products/spectrum-analysis-software/)
Enablers (https://www.thinkrf.com/products/enablers/)
Accessories (https://www.thinkrf.com/products/accessories/)

Solutions
Signal Analysis and Demodulation (https://www.thinkrf.com/solutions/signal-analysis-
demodulation/)
Spectrum Monitoring (https://www.thinkrf.com/solutions/spectrum-monitoring/)
Signals Intelligence (https://www.thinkrf.com/solutions/signals-intelligence/)
Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) (https://www.thinkrf.com/solutions/technical-
surveillance-countermeasures/)
Telecom Planning, Optimization, and Management (https://www.thinkrf.com/solutions/telecom-
planning-optimization-management/)
RF Application Development (https://www.thinkrf.com/solutions/rf-application-development/)

How to Buy
Resellers and Reps (https://www.thinkrf.com/resellers/)
Contact Us (https://www.thinkrf.com/contact-us/)

Resources
Documentation (https://www.thinkrf.com/documentation/)
Videos (https://www.thinkrf.com/videos/)
APIs and Protocols (https://www.thinkrf.com/software-apis/)
Try Demo (https://www.thinkrf.com/demo-request/)
Download Updates (https://www.thinkrf.com/download-updates/)

Company
About ThinkRF (https://www.thinkrf.com/about/)
Blog and News (https://www.thinkrf.com/blog/)
In The News (https://www.thinkrf.com/in-the-news/)
Leadership Team (https://www.thinkrf.com/leadership-team/)
Board of Directors (https://www.thinkrf.com/board-of-directors/)
Career Opportunities (https://www.thinkrf.com/career-opportunities/)

 (https://twitter.com/thinkrf)  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/thinkrf/) 
(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK7FvDhBUu65Ly2q0ernQ3g)

Copyright© 2019 by ThinkRF.com. All Rights Reserved. Privacy (/privacy-

(/privacy- policy-
policy-terms-
terms -use/)