• • • IOT • • •
The vital role of IoT in overcoming urban challenges
A mere decade ago the Internet of things (IoT) was still largely in its infancy – a solution that had all the signs of transforming the world, yet one that was still evolving behind the scenes, says Phil Beecher, chief executive and president of Wi-SUN Alliance
F
ast forward five years, and this potential had begun to become more of a reality, something Wi-SUN Alliance itself discovered
itself in its first report on the state of the IoT industry back in 2017. This year, we have revisited the IoT landscape
through a new study of 300 IT decision makers from UK and US IoT adopters, including those specialising in smart cities, smart utilities and industrial IoT (IIoT), exploring how customer perspectives and adoption patterns have changed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the technology has
largely continued to capture attention and gather momentum, with 92% of organisations affirming that they need to invest in IoT in the next 12 months. From efforts to gain a competitive advantage to a
desire for reduced operational costs and greater business efficiencies, the demand for IoT is clear with such resounding feedback. But exactly where will this investment be directed?
Security and surveillance Leading the IoT investment charge for organisations across these two territories is security and surveillance. Deemed to be the most popular use case in 2022, as many as 87% of respondents say that they would be very likely or definitely looking to deploy the technology in this area during the course of the coming year to 18 months. This is followed by distribution automation (82%)
and advanced meter infrastructure (80%), while waste management (80%) is also high up the list of priorities.
Such statistics should come as little surprise.
These applications are significant components within the smart city landscape, for which IoT is becoming integral. Indeed, it is a technology capable of remotely monitoring, managing and controlling devices that can in turn provide huge streams of real-time data and create transformative insights and actionable information.
Traffic management
and sustainability This smart city narrative continues when we look at those applications that have seen the sharpest rise in interest. The planned use of IoT for traffic management,
for example, has spiked dramatically in our latest study. Smart parking has seen the largest increase in deployment plans, with 77% of respondents now very likely or definitely targeting this compared with 57% in 2017. Equally, traffic lights and controls saw an 18-percentage point increase from five years ago. The growing focus on pollution reduction in
urban areas is also notable. Noise (acoustic) and air quality sensors followed a similar trajectory, up from 62% to 79%, while electric vehicle charging initiatives also grew from 66% to 79%. Sustainability is rising to the top of the agenda
in other ways, including smart streetlighting initiatives. By implementing IoT technologies in something as common as a streetlamp, cities can garner a host of benefits, from controlling energy usage and costs to better maintaining citizen safety and security.
We have seen these benefits realised first hand
with the City of London’s lighting modernisation project over the course of three years. Wi-SUN FAN (Field Area Networks) technology has been used to connect over 12,000 lights, with the initiative helping to reduce overall energy costs by as much as 60%. According to our survey, those very likely or
definitely planning to deploy of IoT for streetlighting rose from 61% in 2017 to 72% this year.
Overcoming urban challenges Between security and surveillance, traffic management and sustainability, IoT has a major role to play in overcoming growing urban pressures. According to the United Nations, the number of
people living in cities has increased from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. By 2050, more than two-thirds of the global population could reside in urban areas. With population densities rising and legacy
infrastructure struggling to cope as more and more people move into cities, such technologies have a critical role to play in helping to ensure the smooth daily functioning of utilities, transport, lighting and other vital activities. It is therefore promising that planned IoT
adoption is on the rise in these areas – this will need to continue and accelerate moving forward.
46 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • JUNE 2022
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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