The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) published a new white paper titled “Wireless Infrastructure as the Foundation of Smart Cities and Communities.” The new research paper is available on the association’s Online Resource Library. Produced by the association’s Innovation & Technology Council (ITC), the reports cover a variety of topics and aim to educate industry, government and the public.
Smart cities and communities are becoming a reality as municipalities look to provide enhanced public-safety services, sustainability and efficiency within transportation, energy, water, waste and other public services, according to WIA. The authors of the newest report conclude that broadband connectivity is crucial for cities and communities to remain financially healthy and to provide citizens with educational and other opportunities.
“Faced with increased populations, cities are challenged to create more efficient ways to deal with the impact of this growth while being sensitive to environmental, economic and quality of-life issues,” said Jim Lockwood, CEO and Founder of Aero Solutions, Co-Chair of ITC, and Chair of the Smart Communities Working Group. “Connectivity and bandwidth are fueling a new Gigabyte economy that will rely on smart services. Wireless and fiber-optics are key enablers of that connectivity and will play essential roles in creating smart communities.”
The white paper concludes that aligning government policies with network capabilities is essential to enabling the successful implementation of smart technologies. “Communities should adopt a forward-thinking and cooperative approach to accommodating infrastructure elements in public rights-of-way and on existing utility and other structures,” the authors write. “In addition, communities must heed a variety of regulatory guidelines and consider a variety of options to fund the buildout of smart city infrastructure.”
Members of the ITC Smart Communities Working Group who contributed to the white paper include Jim Lockwood, Aero Solutions; Don Bach, Boingo Wireless; Bernard Borghei, Vertical Bridge; Bryan Darr, Mosaik; Ray Hild, Triangle Advisory Group; Rebecca Hunter, Crown Castle; Keith Kaczmarek, inPhase Wireless; Ray La Chance, ZenFi; Jim Nevelle, Kathrein; Peter Murray, Dense Networks; and Sam Rodriguez, Aero Smart Communities.
Published June 6, 2018
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