As sensor technologies have become cheaper and analytics software has become more detailed, cites around the world are looking to Smart City projects that can help them update waste and water management, energy, transportation, and host of other systems.
Smart Cities are a smaller part of the growing Internet of Things, in which billions of things will be connected to the Internet over the next few years.
These “things” can be anything from buildings, to water mains, to street lamps – and they’ll all bring increased levels of both automation and cost savings for cities across the globe.
Internet of Things technologies are expected to generate $421 billion in economic value for cities by 2019, according to BI Intelligence.
Among the American companies, AT&T is leading the charge. It helps connect utility meters, street lights, and water systems to the Internet. AT&T’s new framework will be rolled out in Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas.
AT&T’s smart city projects are the next step for the company’s growing IoT ambitions. AT&T already connects more than 6 million cars to the Internet, and it added 1.6 million connected devices in Q3 2015 alone.