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“ In order for a city comprised of interconnected solutions to function , millions of sensors must transmit data simultaneously ”
— Ian Hood , Chief Technologist , Global Service Providers , Red Hat
that all the data generated in 2025 will amount to 175 zettabytes , which - for even more context - would take about 1.8bn years to download on a fiber optic broadband connection . That means that in a few years , the IoT can be expected to make up more than half of the internet of , well … everything .
Smart cities and industry are at the heart of this IoT and connected devices proliferation , and the ongoing 5G rollout is only going to accelerate the trend . “ In order for a city comprised of interconnected solutions to function , millions of sensors must transmit data simultaneously , making a smart city essentially a blended workload ; they bring together upwards of 20-30 or more IoT devices each with different requirements ,” explained Ian Hood , Chief Technologist , Global Service Providers , at Red Hat when we spoke to him back in August . “ The seamless connectivity , telemetry , security and analytics capabilities offered by 5G can ensure every sensor and device work together effectively .”
As the IoT radically changes the way that data is created and processed , smart cities and digitally transformed enterprises are creating a massive boom in the field of edge computing . Frost & Sullivan estimated in August that , by 2022 , 90 % of industrial enterprises will use edge computing . “ The implications of 5G will be felt across all industries at the network edge ,” Hood continued . “ Edge computing brings computation and data processing much closer to where it is needed significantly improving response times .”
Rapid and sweeping digitalisation has brought us projects like Seoul ’ s smart waste management system , which cut waste collection costs in the city by 83 %; a smart traffic control system in Pittsburgh , which reduced wait times at intersections by 41 %
NOVEMBER 2020