Smart city communications that connect people, objects, and sensors involve multiple access and aggregation networks that can vary from public to private and wired to wireless. For any city to become smart, it needs a strong communication infrastructure to support it. Many of the innovations associated with smart cities – in energy, transportation, and the efficient delivery of public services, for example – are based on the availability of ubiquitous communication services. Without the right communication networks, it is hard for a city become more efficient, sustainable, and safer for its citizens.
Yet, the communication layer in a smart city has largely been taken for granted and to an extent become an afterthought, with the main focus on the higher IT and data management layers. The communications environment is highly fragmented, with different technologies serving different constituencies. Today, cities are moving beyond simply connecting citizens and businesses to objects and sensors into a world of Internet of Things (IoT). This trend is spurring interest in more integrated smart city solutions and improving the interoperability, security, data privacy, and scalability of communication networks. Navigant Research forecasts that global shipments of smart city communication nodes will grow from 17 million in 2013 to 55 million in 2020.
This Navigant Research report analyzes the challenges and opportunities for smart city communication networks, with a focus on the five main sectors: smart energy, smart transportation, smart water, smart buildings, and smart government. The study explores the market issues and dynamics associated with smart city communications and covers the viewpoint of communication service providers, communication infrastructure vendors, IT vendors, and city governments. Global market forecasts for communication node shipments, infrastructure revenue, and service revenue, segmented by region, sector, communication type, and network layer, extend through 2020. The report also examines the key communication technologies related to smart city communication infrastructure, as well as the competitive landscape.
Key Questions Addressed:
- What are the different types of smart city communication networks?
- How do communication technologies and layers vary across the different smart city sectors?
- How and where can the different communication layers be consolidated and integrated?
- Which smart city communication networks will take a leading position in the marketplace?
- Which is a larger market opportunity for smart city communication networks – infrastructure or services?
- Which smart city sectors should communication service providers focus on?
Who needs this report?
- Communication infrastructure vendors
- Telecom equipment manufacturers
- Communication service providers
- IT infrastructure vendors
- IT systems integrators
- City governments and local councils
- Investor community
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Market Issues
1.2.1 A Fragmented Infrastructure
1.2.2 Cities and the Internet of Things
1.3 Market Outlook
2. Market Issues
2.1 What Is a Smart City?
2.2 Smart City Sectors
2.2.1 Smart Energy
2.2.2 Smart Transportation
2.2.3 Smart Water
2.2.4 Smart Buildings
2.2.5 Smart Government
2.3 Smart City Operating Systems
2.4 Market Issues
2.4.1 Greenfield versus Brownfield Smart Cities
2.4.2 Private versus Public Communications
2.4.3 Stakeholders and Governance Structures
2.4.4 Security and Privacy
2.5 Market Dynamics
2.5.1 Smart City Network-as-a-Service
2.5.2 Communication Service Providers
2.5.3 Telecom Equipment Manufacturers
2.5.4 IT Systems Integrators
3. Technology Issues
3.1 Smart City Communication Infrastructure
3.1.1 Fiber
3.1.2 Cellular
3.1.3 Wi-Fi
3.1.4 RF Mesh
3.1.5 PLC
3.1.6 Summary Comparisons
3.2 Smart City Communication Challenge
3.2.1 Connecting People
3.2.2 Connecting Objects
3.2.3 Connecting Sensors
3.2.4 Balancing Requirements
3.3 Smart Cities and IoT
3.3.1 The Impact of IoT
3.3.2 Smartphones – The Ultimate Smart City Sensor
3.3.3 5G and IoT
3.4 Interoperability
3.5 Integrating Smart City Communications – A Pragmatic Approach
4. Key Industry Players
4.1 Smart City Communication Infrastructure Vendors and Systems Integrators
4.1.1 Alcatel-Lucent
4.1.2 Bitcarrier
4.1.3 Cisco Systems
4.1.4 Ericsson
4.1.5 Firetide
4.1.6 IBM
4.1.7 Libelium
4.1.8 Living PlanIT
4.1.9 Schneider Electric
4.1.10 Semtech
4.1.11 Siemens AG
4.1.12 Silver Spring Networks
4.1.13 Streetline
4.1.14 Urbiotica
4.2 Telecom Service Providers
4.2.1 AT&T
4.2.2 Deutsche Telekom
4.2.3 KPN
4.2.4 KT Corp.
4.2.5 Orange Group
4.2.6 Telefónica
4.2.7 Verizon
4.2.8 Vodafone
5. Market Forecasts
5.1 Forecast Methodology and Assumptions
5.1.1 Smart Energy
5.1.2 Smart Transportation
5.1.3 Smart Water
5.1.4 Smart Buildings
5.1.5 Smart Government
5.2 Smart City Communication Node Shipments
5.3 Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue
5.3.1 Forecasts by Communication Type
5.4 Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue
5.5 Smart City Communication Node Shipments and Revenue by Network Layer
5.5.1 LAN versus WAN
5.6 Conclusions and Recommendations
6. Company Directory
7. Acronym and Abbreviation List
8. Table of Contents
9. Table of Charts and Figures
10. Scope of Study, Sources and Methodology, Notes
List of Charts and Figures
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments and Service and Infrastructure Revenue, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments by Sector, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Sector, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue by Sector, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments by Network Layer, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Network Layer, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue by Network Layer, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Navigant Research Smart City Model
- Mesh Network Configurations
List of Tables
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments and Service and Infrastructure Revenue, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments by Sector, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Sector, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue by Sector, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Energy Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Transportation Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Water Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Buildings Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Government Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Energy Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Transportation Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Water Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Buildings Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Government Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, North America: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, Europe: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, Asia Pacific: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, Latin America: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Communication Type, Middle East & Africa: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Energy Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Transportation Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Water Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Buildings Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Smart Government Communication Node Service Revenue by Region, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Shipments by Network Layer, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Infrastructure Revenue by Network Layer, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Smart City Communication Node Service Revenue by Network Layer, World Markets: 2013-2020
- Relative Comparison of Smart City Communications
- Network Attributes When Connecting People, Objects, and Sensors