Waynffly Zhong: 5G technology provides powerful backing for smart cities

Mobile networks play a key role in the development of smart cities. Waynffly Zhong, Chief Marketing Officer of China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited, pointed out that smart cities are closely related to mobile Internet, big data, Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G development.

He gave examples of the importance of each technology. One example is the dengue fever epidemic that hit Hong Kong recently. The connectivity of mobile networks has enabled monitoring of stagnant water and mosquitoes to prevent the disease from spreading. In addition, he said that China Mobile recently partnered with local government departments in Hong Kong to monitor trees. Concerned that some trees may pose danger as they grow abnormally, the Government installed a sensor on each tree, which used China Mobile’s IoT platform and technology.

Zhong explained that telecom networks provide the foundation for smart city development. 5G’s characteristics of low latency and wide connectivity help build the IoT, of which the narrow-band IoT (NB-IoT) has the four advantages of low power consumption, wide coverage, low cost, and large capacity. It truly realizes the Internet of Everything and facilitates smart city development. For Hong Kong, smart city development has to be backed by the Mainland. Today’s society faces various challenges. Through I&T, urban management can be improved and resource consumption can be reduced to improve efficiency. Smart cities rely on new technologies to develop intelligence systems, and the adoption of 5G will help smart city development.