Smart cities cannot function without 5G

Mobile networks are indispensable. The arrival of 5G will only increase this dependence. But many new application possibilities are also emerging, especially within urban environments, that we are not even aware of yet, says Joop Verhagen, commercial director at Arcadis. He will during his lecture on the Telecom Infra event sketch a future on the role of 5G networks.

By: Dimitri Reijerman

In a modern city, mobile communication is a given, but according to Verhagen this technology will become even more important in the future: “I want to tell you what challenges we see in the future in the field of smart resilient cities. For example, I will tell you how many people live in urban environments in 2018 and 2030. A smart city contains a lot of technology to meet all challenges. And we need to have more resilient cities, because you need to be able to recover very quickly from flooding, for example.”

Resilience

5G is a necessary ingredient for the creation of these resilient cities, says Verhagen: “Infrastructure is still mainly in the ground. Think of sewers, cables and fiber optic cables. What you see is that infrastructure is increasingly found above ground. This creates a digital virtual world. This is how the solutions are created to make cities truly smart. That's why we think you really need 5G. For example, for the smart installation of heating networks and the integration of wind and solar energy.”

He continues: “5G also plays a leading role in mobility. It is a topic that is now being discussed a lot, such as autonomous transport and 'talking traffic'. Devices must respond and interact very quickly with the cloud. So the latency must be very low. The same can be said for smart water. This allows you to respond to flooding. There are already many systems for measuring water, but with 5G this can be done in real time.”

“Smart services are also useful, such as public safety. For example, it can be used to control crowds during Formula 1 in Zandvoort or the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. This way you can get started on actively managing the outdoor space. 5G also lets you act proactively.”

Resistance and opportunities

Verhagen admits that 5G will cause resistance among some: “Like any new technology, 5G can cause fear in people. Radiation and the like, that's what people are really afraid of. And of course the rollout costs a lot of money. But as soon as the government says it's a need to have is instead of nice to have, you have a cover. Especially if the same government is going to draw up guidelines for installing 5G antennas.”

Verhagen also expects that 5G will deliver many innovative technologies and services: “With 5G we will also come up with things that we have never thought of before. Because new technology will always bring us things that we could not have imagined in advance.” He immediately gives a practical example: “In the US there is a real-time app called Shot Spotter. If someone starts shooting, which happens quite often in America, you get a warning where exactly the shooting is taking place, how many bullets have been fired and where it is best to hide.”

In summary, he says about the rolling out of 5G technology: “The challenge will be: how are we going to integrate all those applications. That requires a lot of technology, but also a lot of knowledge and skills.”

Register for a free visit at the Telecom Infra event on Thursday, September 26 in Breepark in Breda.