Page 14 - CT Issue 21

Keys to the Smart City 13

Mobile Operator
Technology Enablers

Mobile operators are experienced across the realms of
communications, platforms and data, and have the ability to
integrate these into commercial smart cities services. They can help
a city with both the design of services as well as the technology
infrastructure needed to support a smart cities rollout. Mobile
networks have evolved significantly over the past few years, and
now offer services and technologies that can support smart city
deployments that are secure, scalable and robust.

Mobile operators can provide cities with a range of technology enablers, including:

Optimised Communications Networks
Many mobile operators have well established 4G networks, which
meet very high-bandwidth, low latency requirements with an
exceptional quality of service that’s designed to scale and can
support transport, security and emergency services. Operators can
also support lower tier bandwidth requirements, via 2G and 3G
networks, which are now being supplemented by new Low Power
Wide Area (LPWA) networks. These LPWA technologies, designed
specifically for the Mobile Internet of Things (Mobile IoT), are based
on 3GPP standards and can support a range of mobile network
bandwidth and performance requirements, and are suitable for
many smart cities applications

LPWA networks for the Mobile Internet of Things (Mobile IoT)

Mobile IoT networks can support low cost, long battery life, low Standards body 3GPP is finalising three different licenced
bandwidth, and high volume connections in licensed spectrum. spectrum variants of Mobile IoT technologies, which will be ready
They can enable simple on/off type applications, such as street for commercial deployments in 2016-2017. Further information on
lamp control, monitoring of environmental conditions, such as air these technologies can be found at
quality or river levels over time, as well as basic status updates www.gsma.com/connectedliving/mobile-iot-initiative/
from many types of sensors or equipment, even if they are battery
powered and located in inaccessible places for years. Mobile Each of these technologies has the same broad characteristics:
IoT networks are ideally suited to connecting parking sensors, n Very low power consumption
streetlights, weather stations and many other devices used to n Optimised for brief messages
enable smart cities services. n Very low module cost
n Good indoor and extended outdoor coverage
Mobile IoT networks will also extend urban mobile coverage further n Scalable
to reach deeper indoors and underground, enabling richer and n Secure
more pervasive smart cities services. n Easy to maintain
n Suitable for integration into a unified IoT platform

As Mobile IoT networks operate in licensed spectrum, they are not at risk of congestion, and have far fewer constrains on power
outputs and duty cycles than networks employing unlicensed spectrum.