What 5G Means for Smart Cities?<\/strong><\/p>

Today, approximately 55 per cent of the world\u2019s population lives in cities. This will reach 68 percent by 2050, according to the United Nations. By the same year, the continued migration of people from rural to urban areas, augmented by the general growth of the earth\u2019s population, will see an increase in another 2.5 billion residents to the world\u2019s big cities. Managing the resources and operations of so many large cities can only be cost-effective and efficient if they are automated and connected \u2013 and this is the basic premise of smart cities. The creation of smoother and safer living through a gradual digital transformation is already beginning in some world cities, but it does not end there. Streets, buildings, public and personal devices need to be interconnected. 5G is an enabling technology for IoT, and as smart cities essentially rely on IoT to function, 5G and smart cities are inextricably linked. Sensors must be placed everywhere to collect data. The massive amount of data generated by these sensors then needs to be communicated, analysed and fed back to the infrastructure to affect changes in the operation of smart cities.<\/p>

As an example, Barcelona\u2019s sensor-embedded parking spots already connect with an app that directs drivers to available spaces. Projects are also underway in cities including Stockholm, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Columbus, Ohio to realise the smart city vision as well.<\/p>

5G possibilities<\/strong><\/p>

5G brings about a massively improved platform to deliver scalable and reliable connectivity to the world. The technology is designed to be high data-rate and low-latency. These two characteristics allow for fast real-time transfer of data between two or more points. This will allow for many new applications to be deployed that were not possible before 5G. Internet of Things (IoT) has become an instantly recognisable term. It refers to smart, web-enabled devices that have more of a fixed functionality, as compared to general-purpose smartphones, tablets or computers. Examples of IoT devices include connected thermostats, security cameras, door locks, and even connected kitchen appliances.<\/p>

5G is an enabling technology for IoT, and as smart cities essentially rely on IoT to function, 5G and smart cities are inextricably linked. As such, 5G will play a critical role in allowing information gathered through sensors to be transmitted in real-time to central monitoring locations. This web of connectivity will enable maintenance of the infrastructure and manufacturing systems, as well as robust flow control, adjustment and fine-tuning of operating parameters to respond to real-time fluctuations in the environment and processes, as they occur.<\/p>

Machine communication<\/strong><\/p>

Specifically, 5G offers massive machine type communication (MMTC) and critical machine type communication (CMTC). MMTC is intended for a large number of IoT devices, effectively a large number of sensors and actuators sending a lot of data back and forth. Example applications include smart buildings, logistics and fleet management, as well as air and water quality monitoring. It is designed to be latency-tolerant, efficient for small data blocks to be transmitted or received, and to be sent on low bandwidth pipes.<\/p>

CMTC is intended for applications where the data is delay-intolerant, and the critical nature of the data requires guaranteed and accurate transmission to the destination. Examples of CMTC applications include unmanned applications such as autonomous vehicles, remote healthcare, traffic safety control and electric grid control. As you can see, these services are very much aligned with the vision of digitally automating cities.<\/p>

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) is another enabling technology within 5G that will greatly impact smart city deployments. MEC is basically an architecture that provides computing and storage capabilities for applications at the edge of its internal network. This cloud-based service environment allows for real-time, high-throughput, low-latency access to applications that are inherently intolerant of latencies. In traditional, centralised network architectures, these latencies are caused by traffic having to go through the entire network to a central point and then back to the end-user equipment. Examples of MEC use cases include self-driving cars that need to use machine learning techniques on large data sets to analyse and adapt to their environment. This is edge computing<\/p>

Forgotten the cabling?<\/strong><\/p>

The crucial aspects that often get forgotten about in discussions on smart cities are the physical connectivity, the cabling between antenna sites, central switching exchanges as well as data centers above and below the asphalt. Cables form the foundation walls of a smart city. Smart technology cannot deliver data if it is not networked. Networking is indeed part wireless between end subscribers and the network. But from the first network-side receiving antenna, modern FO cabling is a must. Even 5G base stations and mini radio cells have to be integrated in FO networks. A survey by consultants Deloitte concludes that optical fibers are the lifeblood of 5G.<\/p>

Is there sufficient capacity?<\/strong><\/p>

According to a survey by Deloitte, network operators will no longer be able to support the forecast increase in data traffic on their own. They will have to roll out or provide additional FO cables right into the metropolitan areas. To be able to implement this within a realistic time frame, additional co-operations must be entered into, flexible fiber management concepts developed and capacities rented from other independent FO suppliers. The Journal of Internet Services and Applications confirms that when a smart city application is used across the board, it generates massive amounts of data traffic which can lead to serious performance problems in the underlying network infrastructure. Network architectures for smart cities require an open planning concept because data traffic is going to continue to develop dynamically for decades. Where today a single fiber may suffice, tomorrow you may need multi-fiber cables with up to 256 fibers.

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Long-term planning<\/strong><\/p>

Today, the master plan for a city must include the creation of closely-meshed fiber optic communication and data networks and the gradual replacement of obsolete networks. Network planning covers anything between 20 to 30 years. It is just as important as the planning of water, sewage, electricity and gas lines. Radio and fixed networks can no longer be calculated separately from one another. Fiber to the Antenna (FTTA) and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) networks will grow together in the future. In terms of planning, the ideal solution is a city-wide Universal Fiber Grid (UFG) supporting all potential applications. Separate lines for individual functions will also soon be a thing of the past, e.g. controlling traffic lights, street lighting, WiFi hotspots, surveillance cameras and monitoring supply lines. Otherwise, cities will have to repeatedly dig up their roads in the future to add to their infrastructures. It is more useful to think in a networked way and to bundle functions as early as the planning stage. Public and private network operators are coordinating their rollouts. Together, they are making maximum use of their infrastructures and resources like application-independent cabling and modular, and integrated solutions in connecting technology that is key topics when it comes to realizing the high density of future, intermeshed networks. Together with modular active technology and its software, which makes various service platforms available to end-users at the same time, they create the prerequisites for a smart future.<\/p>

The establishment of FO connections between 5G antennas and the backhaul network is a complex matter. Sometimes creative cabling routes have to be found in the most unusual places to be able to link in the dense antenna network and the active electronic sending equipment. At the network infrastructure level, only a correctly dimensioned, uniform and scalable fiber optic infrastructure can permanently ensure the transmission performance required. It should be able to grow continuously with the city and its requirements. Optical fibers are the only way to handle the expected data traffic across the board and virtually in real time between mobile end devices, vehicles and the whole range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications as well as network subscribers. This can be made possible with, for example, modularly extendible, high-density FO distribution systems. Tailor-made, compact mini data centers at the edge of the networks (edge data centers) are indispensable for the future expansion of what is referred to as time-critical applications, such as remote-controlled surgical operations or autonomous driving in the city. The interaction between the end device and the network cannot take more than a few nanoseconds, i.e. as far as possible the data has to be able to be processed close to the action in real-time and a low-latency, almost instantaneous flow of information is a must. This kind of microdata center with redundant FO connections should be available every 5 to 15 km.<\/p>

The metamorphosis of a city to a smart city can be successful when all the necessary resources and capabilities are available at the level of the FO infrastructure. The know-how ranges from the planning through the design of customized connection solutions to function verification for FO cabling and its management in operation. Cities can create some of these themselves or have to plan and provide these with existing telecom and CATV network operators, but also with utilities and private market players.<\/p>","blog_img":"","posted_date":"2020-10-10 18:44:07","modified_date":"2020-10-10 18:44:07","featured":"0","status":"Y","seo_title":"5G - The vital component in building a smart city","seo_url":"5g-the-vital-component-in-building-a-smart-city","url":"\/\/www.iser-br.com\/tele-talk\/5g-the-vital-component-in-building-a-smart-city\/4567","url_seo":"5g-the-vital-component-in-building-a-smart-city"},img_object:["","retail_files/author_1602335399_11669.jpg"],fromNewsletter:"",newsletterDate:"",ajaxParams:{action:"get_more_blogs"},pageTrackingKey:"Blog",author_list:"Shailendra Trivedi",complete_cat_name:"Blogs"});" data-jsinvoker_init="_override_history_url = "//www.iser-br.com/tele-talk/5g-the-vital-component-in-building-a-smart-city/4567";">