In the latest UN World Population Prospects 2022, it’s projected that the global population could hit 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050, and 10.4 billion by 2100. By 2050, an estimated 68% of people will be living in urban areas.
Enterprises like Libelium are at the forefront of smart city solutions, particularly in the realm of Smart Parking. This technology is making waves in various locations where Libelium operates. It’s essentially a solution for urbanites to easily find available parking spots. The magic lies in its sensor system, which plays nice with LPWAN-LoRaWAN Academy and Sigfox radio technologies. This compatibility gives it an extended range and impressive energy efficiency. Even though it handles a lot of data, the small file sizes (Kbytes) allow for instant updates, thanks to their swift travel through the low-frequency band.
What’s particularly cool is that radar tech outperforms magnetic or infrared detection. It doesn’t get fooled by magnetic interference and isn’t tricked by nearby or double-parked vehicles.
In a forward-looking move, the European Commission organized a seminar on the Horizon 2020 call, focusing on Smart Cities & Communities. This drive underscores the pivotal role of smart cities in Europe.
Another trailblazing player, FLASHNET SA, is revolutionizing intelligent street lighting with its inteliLIGHT® solution. This smart luminaire, powered by the LoRaWAN Academy network, remotely controls lighting, from switching on and off to adjusting brightness. Notably, communication requirements between the control system and central management software are minimal, as these controllers can operate independently based on preset schedules.
ENGIE, in 2018, snagged a 60% stake in FLASHNET SA, a testament to their commitment to IoT-based smart street lighting networks. Europe’s emphasis on digitization in Smart Cities and Communities makes sense, considering that these hubs house 78% of the population and generate a whopping 85% of the EU’s GDP.
LoRaWAN network comes into play here, enabling vast coverage with just a few base stations. It eliminates the need for a sprawling network of thousands of nodes, saving significantly on infrastructure costs.
In the context of a smart city, this network becomes the backbone for electric and possibly autonomous vehicles, alongside urban power lines. Connected sensors take on the role of monitoring traffic, pollution, and even weather changes. This data also helps optimize lighting usage, aiming to conserve energy.
The cherry on top is how this infrastructure isn’t solely about energy efficiency through renewables. It’s also a platform to support cloud services and e-health solutions via Big Data.
In industries, it’s a game-changer too. Think predictive maintenance for robots or power lines. Connected sensors keep tabs on various industrial processes, requiring widespread coverage and dependable connections.
As we’ve seen, if you’re looking to set up a private network to monitor or manage devices in a warehouse, factory, or port, a LoRaWAN network is the best option.
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