Just like everything else these days, our cities are going smart. Through the use of SDN, NFV, IoT and Cloud, our cities are becoming more wired, data centric and proactive than they have ever been. Here is some insight into the growing world of smart cities across the globe.
To begin to understand how our cities are becoming smart, we need to define SDN, NFV, IoT and Cloud in terms relating to the smart city.
SDN – SDN, or Software Defined Networks, is the technology which enables network administrators to control and manage all ranges of network services and solutions via a control plane. As it relates to smart cities, SDN allows real time response to network needs, i.e. rerouting bandwidth to a certain location to allow for high throughput in times of need. Ex. If an explosion happens in a city, SDN enables administrators to reroute bandwidth to allow for greater throughput of heavy media – live video, photos and audio – to first responders, news outlets etc. This rerouting empowers more accurate response.
NFV – NFV, or Network Functions Virtualization, is the movement to virtualize network solutions which are currently being powered by dedicated network hardware. The goal of NFV is to eliminate clunky hardware in favor of high functioning network equipment capable of varying the load for large-scale virtualized properties. In terms of smart city, NFV enables standard hardware to run in a virtualized environment which in turns allows SDN to more accurately direct network resources between IoT devices and data centers/cloud servers.
IoT – IoT, or the Internet of Things, is the technology of leveraging cloud based solutions to bring common devices like refrigerators, street lights, parking meters etc. online with network connectivity with the express purpose of communicating real time data to other devices within that network. As it relates to smart cities, IoT devices, like cameras, weather sensors, traffic stop lights, are the on the ground tools which provide real time feedback SDN controllers allowing for real time direction of resources.
Cloud – The Cloud is a network of hardware and virtual environments which doll out compute resources via the Internet as an on demand solution. As it related to smart cities, the cloud is the infrastructure backbone which SDN, NFV and IoT rely on for real time compute power.
How SDN Is Changing How Cities Function
SDN is effectively changing how cities function daily tasks by more effectively controlling how compute and physical resources are marshalled in times of need. Take the example above for instance.
For cities without smart tech built into their infrastructure, in case of an explosion on a busy downtown street, information from that explosion will typically be processing through phone calls to local emergency services, live video and photos sourced via social media platforms and word of mouth to local authorities. While these platforms serve as a solid source of information, if the network used to communicate said data becomes overrun with data transfer, that network experiences bandwidth overload and either shuts down completely or bottlenecks. Both outcomes equate to the sharing of shoddy information and, in turn, possibly faulty emergency service response.
On the other hand, for the city with built in smart infrastructure – SDN, NFV, IoT and Cloud – the same goal of communicating real time information to emergency services takes a different outcome. While the sending of raw data remains the same – phone calls, video and photos – the route it takes is different. When the explosion takes place IoT devices will begin sending information to critical access points. On top of this, eyewitnesses will begin posting and sending information about the events. To allow for the sending and accessing of real time data, SDN controllers have the ability to redirect bandwidth needs within the cities network to ensure network uptime and higher quality transmission of content. In turn, emergency services gain a clearer picture of the event and thus know how to respond accordingly.
How NFV is Changing How Cities Function
If SDN enables for the redirecting of resources in times of emergency, NFV allows for the scalability of hardware needed to redirect resources. Again, let’s use the above example.
For the city without smart infrastructure, in times of an emergency a wide variety of data points will stream into a central network position. To transmit and receive all data, standard computing hardware used by the city will either hold up due to dedicated resources or will fail because those resources are overly burdened with peak load. Dedicated hardware can only handle so much until tapping out.
For the city with smart infrastructure, NFV allows for real time scalability of resources through virtualization. By virtualizing critical compute hardware, when an emergency happens, SDN controllers are able to instantly scale needed resources to make sure avenues of communication, under high bandwidth stress loads, do not fail. NFV, the virtualization of hardware, means the potential resource threshold of dedicated hardware will never be eclipsed causing network failure. NFV means instant scalability, which in turn means, open lines of fluid communication.
It should be noted, SDN and NFV all need effective IoT devices on the ground to make the most out of smart infrastructure.
How IoT is Changing How Cities Function: Smart Connectivity vs. Encroachment
On its head, the issue of IoT in cities is a pretty simple one however, when looked at the issue a bit deeper, it becomes an issue convoluted in privacy concerns and politics. The basis of a good IoT city infrastructure is the placement of connected devices – mostly cameras and sensors – in smart locations – public spaces, street corners, locations of mass transit etc. Moreover, a mixing of sensors – motion, cameras, temperature, and infrared/x M ray – are all needed through a city to effectively monitor and transmit data to smart city infrastructure.
All these different types of sensors effectively help city officials respond to an emergency through the acclamation of real time data.
This said, a very important aspect of IoT within smart cities is how the devices impact daily life within the city. For all the technological benefits of the smart city we can’t lose sight of the fact that cities are composed of people and the technology we install into those cities are there to benefit the standard of living, not to cloak the citizenry under the guise of a perceived police state. A great example of this is London.
London, commonly noted as the most heavily watched city in the world, has roughly one network connectivity enabled camera for every 14 inhabitants. This figure equates to nearly 500,000 sensors placed around London. If you look, it doesn’t take long before you stumble on endless social platform threads likening London to a police state city where everything is watched, recorded and stored. While the argument is in place that IoT devices are meant to help protect a city, the argument is also in place that they only serve to bolster in city paranoia.
So, while IoT devices are helping to make cities safer by more accurately providing real time data through SDN, NFV and cloud infrastructure, they are also impacting day-to-day living of inhabitants. One of the most pressing challenges of the smart city will be finding the balance between protection through smart connectivity and effective police states.
Smart City Integration
As noted by NetworkWorld:
“SDN and NFV reduce the hardware, power, and space requirements to deploy network functions through the use of industry-standard high-volume servers, switches and storage; it makes the network applications portable and upgradeable with software; and it allows cities of all sizes the agility and scalability to tackle the needs and trends of the future as they arise. Like the brain’s neural pathways throughout a body, SDN and NFV are essential in making the smart city and its networks connect and talk to each other in a meaningful way.”
The question now becomes, how to cities of all sizes implement changes to build smart infrastructures into day-to-day life without disrupting the flow of daily life? In our next article, we will explore business models for smart city deployment and management.