Disruption and Transformation Represent Key Drivers to Building Smarter Cities

BroadcastAsia2017 will run alongside CommunicAsia2017, but at the refurbished Suntec Singapore. This change in location will allow both shows to grow and accommodate even more exhibitors and technology.

Imagine this – the year is 2050 and, according to the United Nations, the population has risen to 9.7 billion, 66 percent of the world has moved into cities and India now has an extra 404 million residents, surpassing China as the most populated country. This rapid increase of urban populations can be a daunting thought for city planners, with 1.3 million people moving into cities each week, causing issues such as overcrowded roads, excessive energy consumption, and housing shortages. However, due to the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the evolvement of smart cities, digitization of almost anything has helped to accommodate the growing population and curb the problems that arise as a result.

Asia brings together the best-of-breed technologies and solutions at its annual tradeshows CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia, uncovering how disruptive technologies in the amalgamation of smart cities – including financial technology, cyber security, and energy efficiency among others – have come together to build a smarter city.

Advancements in technology have made it possible for cities to interlink as city leaders now provide a seamless and improved experience, and overall positive impact on the lives of citizens and residents in their work, life, and play. Take Singapore, the home of CommunicAsia, for example. Taking the smart city to a whole new level, the island city-state announced last year it would deploy sensors and cameras that will allow the government to collect data and monitor everything, from air quality and cleanliness of public spaces, to crowd density, road conditions, and even sensors tailored for families to monitor movements of their elderly.

Other examples include Hubli in India, Seoul in South Korea, and Kashiwa-no-ha in Japan. Residents of Hubli face unpredictable water supply and hence receive alerts when clean water is available. In Seoul, strides in cyber security have meant that since 2008, children, the disabled, and the elderly are voluntarily equipped with a smart device that works on combining location-based services and CCTV technologies. Kashiwa-no-ha operates an energy management system through a smart center that oversees energy operations, management, and control for the entire town using wheeling throughout the area to cut peak power consumption by 26 percent, helping to conserve energy and cut CO2 emissions.

But it is not stopping there. Asian cities are taking it in their stride to connect the unconnected, and soon to be smartened are New Delhi in India, Chiang Mai in Thailand, Bandung in Indonesia, and 122 others across the continent.

As planners across the region continue to seek smart solutions to urban challenges, there is huge financial potential for these enhancements, as well as health and safety benefits. The top 600 urban centers generate 60 percent of global GDP, with the market expected to be worth USD 1.4 trillion by 2020.

We may still be a long way from reaching that utopian goal of driverless pods being the status quo, but for now, smart cities are vital to sustain Asia’s growing urban population. To continue providing residents with effective and efficient solutions, cities must continue to evolve and incorporate technologies and innovations into their future. We are looking forward to seeing the next wave of advancements that will soon come to Asian cities. In the meantime, we hope you can visit CommunicAsia from May 23 to 25, 2017, and see for yourself some of the disruptive innovations transforming smart cities, and amass valuable insights from some of the foremost industry experts in the field.

CommunicAsia2017 Summit. Taking place throughout the event, the Summit will cover topics such as the IoT, security of things, smart cities, digital talent analytics, and broadband.

As usual, BroadcastAsia2017 will run alongside CommunicAsia2017, but at the refurbished Suntec Singapore. This change in location will allow both shows to grow and accommodate even more exhibitors and technology.

We also hope to meet our readers at the Communications Today booth at the show!