Internet of Things - Information technology platform for a smart city

Internet of Things (IoT) is a new IT trend in the world, in which every object, person is provided with his/her own identity. All have the ability to transmit, exchange information and data over a single network without the need for direct interaction between people and people or people and computers. Binh Duong province, which is a locality on the path towards a smart city, has now sufficient telecommunications infrastructure for the application of IoT.

With a complete infrastructure and many deployed Internet services, Vietnam Technology and Telecommunications Company will contribute to the deployment of IoT in building a smart city of Binh Duong

An information technology trend for a smart city

Currently, more and more smart city initiatives around the world are focusing on the IoT. Many experts said that if we applied non-standard IoT solutions, the cost for smart city development worldwide would reach $1,120 billion in 2025. In the meantime, if we use standard IoT solutions, this cost would be only $781 billion, saving $341 billion.

Mr. Matteo Vezzosi, Senior Sales Manager of NXP Semiconductors Company (Netherlands), said we could apply IoT into areas, such as waste management, urban management, traffic, response in emergency situations, smart shopping ... For example, monitoring shooting device is able to automatically transmit information of traffic conditions to another system that is capable of making immediate suggestions to drivers to switch to another routes. In Europe, since 2007, European Union (EU) has implemented a series of objective of smart city development, in which IoT has been their technological foundation.  EU countries’ experiences in improving traffic, enhancing energy saving and efficient use are useful lessons for other countries. In Asia, many countries, such as United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Singapore ... have also applied IoT into smart city development. In Korea, in 2003, the Government put forward a development strategy called "U-Korea" that uses wireless sensor system to promote the digitization of resources, networking, is easy to use, intelligent and has dramatically changed Korean socio-economic development.

Binh Duong can afford the deployment of IoT

While deploying IoT, telecommunications infrastructure plays an important role in the information storage and transmission. To Binh Duong Province, the current telecommunications infrastructure has been developed and basically affords the deployment of IoT. The province has now 8 telecommunications enterprises participating in the construction of telecommunications infrastructure and telecommunications service provision, such as Binh Duong Telecoms, Viettel... In addition, the fiber optic system replacing copper system has covered even remote communes to provide igh speed internet, IPTV services; has 1,928 antenna towers to broadcast and receive mobile phone wave of Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone, Vietnammobile and Gmobile.

Mr. Phan Thanh Nam, Head of Post  - Telecommunications Office under Department of Information and Communications, said the current telecommunications system in the province had been very effective, served well socio-economic development tasks, disaster prevention and national defense – security. Furthermore, provincial telecommunications system satisfies necessary conditions for the IT development and application to facilitate administrative reform, e-government development, as well as meet the demand for various services.

After meetings with provincial leaders, Eindhoven City’s delegation (Netherlands), Dutch Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City and Dutch businesses have appreciated the telecommunications infrastructure development of Binh Duong, this will be the foundation for a smart city. Mr. Simon van der Burg, Dutch Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said the relationship between Binh Duong Province and Eindhoven City had an important advance in cooperation, such as meetings between two cities’ leadership, two sides’ businesses signed cooperation, investment ... Binh Duong’s development in telecommunications infrastructure will help the province to faster become a smart city.

"Binh Duong has good starting conditions for becoming a smart city. Binh Duong has also a high economic growth rate across the country, has attracted investments of large foreign corporations, especially in telecommunications infrastructure. Therefore, developing a smart city based on IoT would be favorable and reasonable to Binh Duong Province”, said Mr. Peter Portheine, Director of Brainport Corporation (Netherlands).

According to Mr. Lai Xuan Thanh, Director of Department of Information and Communications, information technology application in large-scale and modern manner is indispensable to a smart city, which will demand many solutions, technology trends applied into all aspects of life, like smart transportation; smart lights; smart parking… Services offered the people, even administrative procedure services, will be smart services, instead of only e-services.

Reported by Hoang Pham – Translated by Ngoc Huynh