Cleaner, Safer, Stronger Cities
By Glenn Lurie, President and CEO, AT&T Mobility at AT&T
AT&T has been in the Internet of Things (IoT) business for more than 8 years. We’re already connecting automobiles, homes and “things.” Now, we’re putting it all together in the places where 60-80% of global greenhouse gases will be generated, and where 66% of world’s population will live by 2050: Cities.
Enter the Smart City. A Smart City optimizes how we use valuable resources, like energy and water, to help improve quality of life, positively impact our planet and open new economic opportunities.
That’s what I spoke about on The Zero Energy City panel at FORTUNE Brainstorm E last month in Carlsbad, CA. Bill Ritter – founder and director of the Colorado State University Center for the New Energy Economy – and Eric Spiegel – President and CEO of Siemens USA – joined moderator Andrew Shapiro and me for a conversation about trends in urbanization and technology, and how connectivity is changing our cities and impacting our planet.
We’ve entered an era where our entire world is becoming mobilized. In fact, the wireless network is already helping us conserve energy in our homes and during our commutes. Imagine walking out the door for work – your house automatically sets the alarm, locks the doors, and turns your thermostat down and your lights off. Or imagine your car dashboard telling you about trouble spots on your route, so you’re able to avoid idling in traffic.
The efficiency gains associated with this mobilized world have the potential to generate huge environmental benefits. AT&T is using IoT innovations to create impactful solutions to help cities tackle resource scarcity and associated challenges. For example, Ericsson and AT&T have teamed up to provide remote monitoring of water quality in city watersheds for the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in Atlanta. We’re providing wireless connectivity for the IoT devices to help with early detection of water contamination.
We’re on the cusp of realizing these benefits at an even larger scale, which is why we must test and trial to prove it. We’ve created a smart cities framework to help cities better serve their citizens and the environment. The framework, which will be introduced in select spotlight cities such as Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas, is supported by an alliance of key technology leaders and industry organizations. This is one way we’re using the power of our network to build a better tomorrow.
Check out more about how Smart Cities are helping to make our world cleaner, safer and stronger here.
