Smart cities a catalyst for social and economic development
Metros work with private operators to deliver broadband, but law keeps provinces in the cold
Although metropolitan centres such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and eThekwini have been working with the private sector to roll out broadband services, SA’s cities are lagging their international peers in broadband penetration and the use of smart technologies to connect service delivery and infrastructure to the internet. In his book The Fourth Industrial Revolution, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Prof Klaus Schwab explains how progressive cities have implemented smart technologies – including intelligent parking solutions, smart rubbish collection and intelligent lighting. Other data-driven services include smart security cameras, smart water and power meters, eHealth and eServices. In their book Making Africa Work: A Handbook for Economic Success, Greg Mills and his co-authors argue that providing broadband services can contribute to a city’s economic growth. This view is shared by some prominent organisations. The dotcom bubble was ...
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