Are We There Yet? Smart Cities Technology Has Come a Long Way

The benefits of smart cities have been touted far and wide.

Improved connectivity, smart streetlights for improved traffic flow, better public safety, faster Internet for residents and businesses, and more.

It’s no overstatement that much work remains to be done.

According to Bill Pugh, managing partner of Smart Connections Consulting in Austin, the first benefits that residents will notice are in improved connectivity, electrification (such as in fleet vehicles) and improved city services (such as 911 and 211) and overall engagement with their city.

“It all starts with the (electricity) grid,” Pugh said, and “improving fiber optics and privacy (for residents).”

With the way the infrastructure is siloed, smart city progress is going to be “city by city, large agency by large agency,” he said.

According to Pugh, the biggest challenges ahead include:

• High bandwidth
• Resilience and reliability
• Interoperability
• Smart home technology

If it seems smart city technology is coming to a head, Pugh cited federal monies being made available to municipalities, many of which don’t have the budget to invest in technology as opposed to keeping the buses running.

For example, the 2009 Recovery Act funding for the Smart Grid Investment Program helped to support the installation of 16 million smart meters by 2016, according to the White House. Smart meter projects around the country can help consumers understand their energy use and pricing, helping to facilitate the transition to a more resilient electric grid infrastructure.

In addition, the White House says, electric vehicle models present consumers with real choices as they look to adopt new technology, enhancing the competitive position of U.S. industry, driving job creation through innovation, and increasing the number of plug-in electric vehicles on U.S. roads to 400,000 at the end of 2015.

Recovery Act investments have also supported public transit through the purchase of 12,000 buses, vans, and rail vehicles and the construction or renovation of over 850 transit facilities.

That means the electrical vehicles that people will notice the most will be used by government agencies, such as the Texas Department of Transportation, and large company fleet vehicles, such as international delivery companies.

In the crawl-walk-run-fly business analogy, Pugh said, “We’re in the beginning-to-crawl stage.”

Which means the full benefits of smart city technology will take decades to accomplish, he said.