5G networks are expected to unlock the potential of the IoT and be a driving force for smart cities. While the contributions that 5G networks will provide to smart cities are highly discussed, 5G networks still aren’t ready for widespread deployments. Even still, city leaders should begin to scope plans to implement 5G in the near future.

Gartner Key Findings

• “5G will eventually become an essential component of a smart city; however, supplier’s goals and the city’s goals may not be aligned, especially in the early years of deployment.”
• “Create a framework for city wireless technology adoption that identifies short- and long-term opportunities for 5G and positions it relative to the full portfolio of wireless options and ecosystem stakeholders
• “Identify use cases and locations where the city needs to accelerate 5G deployment and support them by providing cell sites, accelerating approvals, and implementing technical and commercial tactics to fill gaps that telcos are not addressing.

What This Means for City Leaders

Even though 5G networks aren’t yet ready for primetime, it’s still important for city leaders to begin sketching a plan for how they’ll implement 5G when it does become more commercially available.

Per Gartner, “City technology planners must understand the capabilities of 5G, what will be delivered and when it will become available, then match this against the wireless communication requirements of the city. They will then be able to create a framework to determine where 5G fits in the overall portfolio of city wireless technologies, and which requirements don’t match what 5G provides.”

Together with strong partners, city leaders can begin to identify and prioritize use cases that can leverage the power of 5G networks to spark meaningful change in their city in the near future. Smart city initiatives aren’t just for major metro areas. Communities of all sizes can benefit from technology that enables them to collect more data and glean new insights. Every city can be a smart city. There’s no perfect size, use case, or geographical location.

Smart cities are not about what’s happening today. It’s about leveraging what’s happening today to build a better, safer, and more efficient, tomorrow.