Experts says that Smart Cities will provide one of the most intriguing and innovative applications for the internet of things (IoT) that will enable offering of untold benefits for governments and citizens enhancing quality of life, security and sustainability.

At the IoT Tech Expo fair in London in February a panel laid out the basic needs that must be met for Smart Cities to flourish.

The most important is need for broadband connectivity that is needed for the operationalisation of   IoT. The focus should be on low-power wide-area networks (WANs), Bluetooth or other, similar standards such as Zigbee.

Experts say superfast broadband must be a universal reality to support Smart Cities. There is also a need to put in place more underlying technologies and networks to enable Smart City technologies to be employed more effectively.

They say Smart City technology has a role to play in socio-economic challenges. However, it has to be underpinned by other technologies.

Equally important is development of standards. These are needed for effective   interoperability. There should be easier access to data and connectivity among sensors, networks and data.

There is also a need for data for governance that would ensure transport mapping and smart utility metering in local authority housing.