One of the essential requirements for the IoT is integrated and distributed networks, until recently the only way possible to deliver this was either in cities with their high fidelity infrastructure or on a peer-to-peer mobile network using 4G. With the inception of recycled infrastructure by companies like Huawei and the deployment on 5G in 2020 cities cease to afford the benefits required to absorb the huge costs of their use.

The prediction of #Smart #Business is #Smarter not locating to a #SmartCity in 2016 by UbiNET CEO Karl Smith make the clear case of;

Why do we need cities?

They create centralization of people and resources however they also drive costs as often space is insufficient for demand. There is a huge dependency on the need for workspace, shops and local living accommodation.

Lets not buildSmart Cities, lets Live Smart instead

In a #SmartEconomy with people engaged in #SmartLiving people rely on digital communications not face to face engagements. Unless direct physical contact with another person is required for your job you don’t need to be physically present. Most work can be distributed to multiple locations across the planet. Even specialist surgeons can now work remotely and have been doing so for some time, even surgery can now be done through a physical / virtual interface.

Summary

The cost of creating Smart Cities is huge and relates to infrastructure for jobs and services that won’t be required in the mid term, they will not make a profit and may even not cover their cost of creation and installation.

The Smart solution is a distributed model not a centralized one

Creating these types of services takes a huge investment and without the confirmation of a captive customer base, it should be interesting to see how capital can be raised and who will take this risk.