Page 14 - April 2018 Disruption Report Flip Book

SMART CITIES JAANPURAILRY20210818
high-speed broadband service wherever they are, they are generally less excited by the idea of having cell sites all around them. As a result, city governments, technology vendors and partners from a range of industries are searching for elegant solutions to this challenge, and many have already embarked on 5G network trials to explore the possibilities in real-world environments.
One of the more promising approaches currently being explored is the integration of 5G antennas into existing elements of the cityscape; most notably in street furniture (bus stop shelters, for instance) and in highly distributed infrastructure such as light poles, which are nearly ubiquitous in urban environments. An added benefit to the latter is that streetlights are typically supported by other needed infrastructure, such as the local power grid, which offers some obvious logistical advantages.
Of course, retro-fitting existing light poles to support 5G radio access won’t be practical in most instances. Instead, city planners can integrate the requirements for 5G networking into the planning process for broader modernization or beautification efforts in public spaces. In fact, while clearly a critical piece of the puzzle, 5G connectivity is just one element of many that city officials need to consider as they embark on their smart city initiatives. For instance, in addition to wireless networks, they will also be looking to deploy sensors to support weather monitoring and traffic management, or cameras to support security applications. Why not integrate these technologies into a single, easy to replicate, easy to deploy form-factor? There are clear benefits to this approach for cities, enabling them to make the most of their limited “real estate.”
In preparation of 5G technology’s introduction, many cities and their commercial partners have initiated trial programs to work through many of the challenges they will face with widespread commercial deployments. For instance, the integration of 5G and smart city infrastructure presents some novel design challenges. What needs to be done, from a design standpoint, to support the various technologies in a quite limited space? How
can we pack as much functionality as possible into each unit in the most cost-effective manner? What kind of materials need to be used so that radio signals are not impeded, and can support the high-speed connections required?
As important as these logistical answers, the systems need to be attractive as well (or better yet invisible) if they are to be accepted by the public — particularly given the volumes in which they will be deployed. They also need to be durable, continuing to function properly over a long period of time across a range of weather conditions. Lastly, they
need to be resistant to tampering, vandalism or theft, which are unfortunately common challenges in many urban areas. These questions become quite important when these devices are literally all around us.
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