3 tips for becoming a smart (or smarter) city in the age of 5G

“The blending of the Internet of Things and 5G connectivity has the potential to not only improve the reliability of services, but also the cost structure, as cities become more efficient,” said Mark McDiarmid, senior vice president of radio network engineering and development for T-Mobile.

That said, “budgets remain tight for many local governments and forms the lens through which cities view and approach their smart city initiatives,” added Pat Watkins, vice president of partner solutions and IoT for T-Mobile.

“Given enough time and money, you can solve anything, but that’s not the world we’re living in right now — especially in cities,” she said. “With every single dollar they spend, cities have to think about the efficiencies that they’re driving.”

We talked with McDiarmid and Watkins about how cities can take advantage of 5G to implement smart city initiatives, even in a world of flat budgets. They shared three tips.

Tip 1: Let your budget guide your projects

Watkins suggests that city leaders think about prioritizing goals and identify projects that would have the greatest impact on the community to help maximize budget.

She also recommends thinking about new business models for making investments in smart city projects. For instance, could a kiosk or digital signage that displays up-to-the-minute bus information also display local advertising?

“Creative thinking is going to have to happen to create an environment where change can prosper in a meaningful and fiscally responsible way,” Watkins said. “An investment in IoT can lead to greater economic development and positive outcomes for citizens.” Data gathered from that digital signage, for example, could be used to guide future initiatives, like updates to bus routes, which could improve the frequency of on-time arrivals in the area.

Tip 2: Detail your business case and potential outcomes

Technology implementations require a lot of cross-functional collaboration, and it will be important that all stakeholders understand the impacts of a new smart city focused initiative.

“The business case needs to be well-defined,” McDiarmid said. “A solid business case can help get leadership buy-in and help ensure a project’s success.”

He suggests that government organizations ask and answer four questions when prioritizing smart city projects:

• What is a pain point that 5G and technology can help address?
• What are the underlying economics of solving the particular problem or pain point?
• What are all the possible value points and how will you monitor them?
• How will implementing this program enhance efficiency?

Tip 3: Start small then scale

Becoming a smart city does not need to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

“Certainly, there is no need to revolutionize an entire city’s operation,” McDiarmid said. “Instead, identify one or a handful of possible projects that have the potential to be highly valuable to local citizens right away,” he said.

Sometimes a project’s value might be in improving citizens’ quality of life, he added. “T-Mobile is very focused on finding innovative applications that will help shape positive outcomes in daily life.”

“Once projects demonstrate value for the government and citizens, it becomes easier to scale larger smart city projects,” Watkins says.

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