ITU accelerates study of smart-city data management

The Internatiional Telecommunications Union (ITU) has established a new Focus Group to research data processing and management in the context of smart cities. The group is open to participation by any interested party, leading a consultation process to identify the aspects of data management to benefit from ITU standardisation.

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into city systems will map these systems in the virtual world, improving the understanding of how complex city ecosystems behave. Efficient data management will also yield new insight into where public and private-sector innovation could spur environmentally sustainable growth in our cities.

“Advances in data collection and analysis are opening up new frontiers in sustainable development,” said ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao.

“ITU standardisation aims to assist the development of a shared, integrated data ecosystem, one that will support data-driven innovation in all segments of the public and private sector.

“In our knowledge-driven modern economies, data is quickly becoming our most valuable natural resource,” said Mr Chaesub Lee, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau. “Common technical standards will help us to draw maximum possible value from our fast-growing wealth of data by preventing the emergence of data ‘silos’ in different segments of smart cities,” he added.

The Focus Group will be chaired by Gyu Myoung Lee of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. It will review existing technical platforms and related guidelines for data processing and management, with a view to identifying standardisation demands to be addressed by ITU’s expert group for ‘Internet of Things, Smart Cities and Communities’, ITU-T Study Group 20.

“Data is the key to smart governance,” said Mr Nasser Al Marzouqi, Chairman of ITU-T Study Group 20.

“Efficient data management will improve the efficiency and sustainability of public services, and e-governance models and open data will encourage citizens to play an active role in addressing the challenges most relevant to their communities,” he added.