Smart city comms networks market booming

The global market for smart city communications networks is on track to grow from US$5.8 billion ($7.5 billion) this year to $13.4 billion in 2027, according to Navigant Research.

The evolutions of communications networks connecting sensors, controllers, cameras and other smart city IoT devices will serve as a fundamental building block for the smart city evolution, the research firm said.

As the smart city market increases in maturity, advances in the underlying communications networks are enabling the development of new more complicated use cases.

A wide range of communications network options for smart city infrastructure are in use today, including fibre, radiofrequency mesh networks, cellular networks, Wi-Fi, powerline communications and low-power wide area networks (LP-WAN).

Mobile networks will have a wider role to play in connecting smart city infrastructure as the IoT market expands. Emerging mobile technologies for smart cities include 5G, narrowband IoT and LTE Cat-M1, the 4G standard tailored for IoT operations.

“Ultimately, cities will need several different types of communication networks to execute on any comprehensive smart city strategy,” said Ryan Citron, Navigant Research senior research analyst.

“While there will be space in the market for many connectivity options to coexist, all stakeholders should recognise the importance that 5G networks will take on in the coming decades, particularly if emerging low-power cellular options are recognised as part of the 5G portfolio.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/sdecoret

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