The goal of virtually every technological development in history has had an operational component: the desire to carry out a task – whatever it may be – more efficiently and quickly than before. But there’s also usually an aspirational component, too: a desire to make our lives better, without needing to perform certain mundane tasks over and over again, or even without noticing things are going on in the background at all.

The quintessence of this vision of technology is found in smart cities. Although 100%-smart cities are still just the stuff of dreams, some important steps are currently being taken to move us further towards that goal. And fibre optics will play a fundamental role.

The transition to smart cities: what are they?

Smart cities don’t come in a neat little box, and they can’t be summed up in a sentence. Instead, they’re more about applying certain concepts to urban design and the ways in which people can interact with their environment, infrastructure and facilities. In this sense, cities will only get smarter the more technology and Big Data are involved in managing their important processes, helping citizens and visitors enjoy a high quality of life.

But what processes are we really talking about here? On paper, any that involve information of any kind. Practically speaking, that means virtually every process taking place in the day-to-day running of your city right now. Any examples?

Traffic management and signalling, waste management and recycling, managing energy supplies, street cleaning, keeping green spaces well looked after, regulating temperatures both in and out of buildings, access and security in protected spaces, parking management, water supplies and purification… the list goes on. The ultimate goal is about making our cities – through technological efficiencies – more functional, liveable and friendly places for the people in them.

Challenges of smart cities. The role of fibre optics

Of all the processes mentioned above, we’re probably seeing the most progress in things like autonomous driving and energy management, in particular. But the scope in which smart cities will flourish remains massive. However, we mustn’t forget that smart cities also face a number of key challenges and obstacles.

Integrated service ecosystems in our cities.

Currently, no matter how much cities try to automate their management processes, the tools, ecosystems and operability of these processes will always have certain characteristics that are completely alien to the city, region or council next door. This is generally the case because each service or process is managed by a specific entity. In a perfect world, we’d all adapt to interoperable technological standards, which could be shared and expanded where necessary, without causing any friction.

Financial investments in technology.

City leaders face a wide range of challenges. And almost always with one eye on the short term, and the inconveniences their constituents may be facing. Given the challenges of day-to-day problem solving, a long-term strategic vision is rarely maintained, with smart cities and technology rarely at the top of the list of budget priorities. Firm public and political commitment – free from ideology – is crucial for the idea of smart cities to come to fruition.

Genuinely comprehensive connectivity.

Data flows, drones, sensors, artificial intelligence and robots will have no effect on these hypothetical smart cities of the future without robust and broad structures in place capable of giving cities comprehensive connectivity in the first place. Fibre optic technology must be the backbone of our smart cities. Ambitious but operable infrastructure, enough hotspots across all parts of the city, and bandwidth that can respond without latency to enormous volumes of information flowing around smart cities are all essential.

Alongside all that, among both citizens and public officials, a culture that embraces technology, efficient digital government and interoperability between administrations – both local and national – is also highly desirable. After all, there’s no use having a robot that can collect the bins or clean the streets if it’s impossible to pay your waste management taxes from your mobile or computer.