Smart Cities: The Impact of Advanced Cabling and Communication Infrastructure

The idea of a smart city is that it has more to offer its residents than your average, traditional city design. That means more efficiency, sustainability and enjoyment and a better quality of life overall. Smart cities are reliant on network connectivity, which means that advanced cabling and communication infrastructure is a vital part of the overall picture. Here’s what you need to know about where smart cities and cabling intersect.

What is a smart city and why do we need them?

Technology and data-driven solutions are at the heart of the smart city. This is essentially an urban environment that uses technology for everything, from improving sustainability to increasing the efficiency of resource management. Within a smart city you’ll find much of the latest innovation being integrated, whether that is the Internet of Things or data analytics. We need smart cities because they have a number of key advantages that are often missing from city life today. For example, they enhance quality of life (e.g. better waste management and safer public areas) and they help to improve efficiency and enable cost savings to be made. Smart cities integrate data analytics and real time monitoring to optimise urban planning and resource planning. Plus they improve safety through optimal surveillance and emergency response systems and foster innovation and economic growth.

The impact of advanced cabling and communication infrastructure

Network connectivity is absolutely vital for smart cities. Which is why cabling and communication infrastructure has such a big impact on how smart cities develop – and what comes next. Great network connectivity enables information exchange, which is what makes a smart city work optimally. It allows for data to be collected and analysed in real time, so that decision-making can be informed by a whole other level of realistic insight. One great example is a smart transport system – which is run off advanced cabling infrastructure – and which allows for intelligent routing, traffic monitoring in real time as well as a reduction in congestion and emissions thanks to the data being collected. Other examples of cables playing a key role in smart cities include when it comes to more energy efficient buildings and public safety and security.

What are the challenges?

There are obvious benefits to smart cities – but also a whole range of challenges that cabling and communication infrastructure needs to address. Key among these is security – ensuring that networks are safe and secure so that they are not at risk of cyber crime and hacking. It’s also vital that networks are inclusive, accessible and affordable to everyone in the city, no matter what their socio-economic status. Privacy, data ownership and regulatory compliance are also going to have a big part to play in ensuring that cities are smart in every sense of the word.

When it comes to creating more smart cities – and the network connectivity that is required. At GEM Cable we are AS9100D & BS EN ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001-2015 certified UK manufacturers of bespoke cable assemblies, control boxes, harnesses, wiring looms, panels, fibre optic products and total network solutions.