Three building blocks to deliver smarter services

The promise of smart city initiatives is difficult to ignore. In cities around the world, government leaders are looking at the confluence of new technologies as a way to improve operational efficiency and, ultimately, their residents’ quality of life.

As public services are the keystone of any city, it is no surprise city leaders are embracing smart technologies to improve public services, making them more efficient and seamless for citizens and operators alike.

Here are three building blocks every smart city can embrace in order to successfully deliver smarter services:

Leverage the existing network

One fundamental investment that enables smart cities is the network infrastructure. Having a high-speed network that is reliable and secure is essential to the functioning of smart cities. The network infrastructure needs to provide a seamless connection to numerous Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors and be able to support a constant stream of information, in a variety of protocols, for effective data-driven decisions.

For example, IoT sensors installed on electric buses are constantly monitoring the health of each vehicle. With a robust network, that information can be passed to public transit crews who can analyze the data for predictive maintenance or to alert passengers of transit delays. Similarly, with smart water management solutions, such as smart meters and leak detectors, city leaders can collect data like water pressure, flow, distribution, and leak detection, and analyze it to help reduce water waste and improve overall efficiency.

As a trusted technology partner, Spectrum Enterprise offers over 840,000 miles of network infrastructure——that city leaders can leverage for smarter services. With a fiber network from Spectrum Enterprise, you can launch smart city initiatives designed to improve city services and be confident your network will accommodate new business development growth and meet the ever-changing needs of your citizens.

Engage the community

Citizens want to be involved. They want their voice to be heard so they can help shape and evolve their city. As city leaders, it is important to engage the community to understand what features and amenities will align with what citizens want. By encouraging your citizens to participate in brainstorming sessions to address city-wide problems, you’ll not only learn what your citizens’ priorities are but also typically find higher adoption rates for your smart city projects.

Implementing smart city initiatives that are citizen-centric and meet the unique demands of the community will ultimately determine the success of the program. Take, for example, intelligent traffic management. Modes of transportation vary from city to city. Some cities have subways while others have trolleys. So, when looking to implement intelligent traffic management solutions, city leaders need to understand the different modes of transportation preferred by their citizens so they can develop a solution unique to their city life. Collecting and analyzing data from your community will lead to better decisions and excitement about each initiative within the community.

Build on successes

By prioritizing citizens’ needs, leaders can focus on implementing one project first and continue to build upon those projects or add additional projects over time. Many municipalities begin their smart city journey by focusing on individual solutions that address their most pressing needs. Then, the city can build on this individual solution by leveraging their initial investment as they expand into other projects.

Becoming a smart city isn’t a one stop solution, but a journey that grows over time. Once you can prove success on one project, not only will it be easier to secure funding for the next project, but the teams and community will have the confidence to propel them forward.

Explore smarter services

City leaders looking to deliver smarter services to their community should start with the existing network infrastructure and then use IoT sensors and analytics to help deliver smarter services. By encouraging community participation, leaders can ensure they prioritize the services citizens need most and then continue to expand on their potential in the future.

To learn more about delivering smarter services, contact us here.