Jan 9, 2018

Smart infrastructure is the multibillion-dollar hyper-liveable cities gaining attraction in Africa and the Middle East (AME), which are fastest urbanizing countries in the world. The urban population in the region has increased from 21% in 1960 to 45% by the end of 2015, according to the UN. The scarcity of resources and chaotic nature of rapidly expanding cities are also pushing the governments to implement smart solutions to ensure sustainability of various city services.

Information and communication technologies infrastructure in Africa and the Middle East region are of different levels, which pose challenges in deployment and implementation of smart city solutions. Poor telecom infrastructure in many countries especially in Africa hurdles the development of smart city projects.

The objectives of smart city initiatives vary across Africa and the Middle East region depending on economic and social conditions of a country. Most African countries such as Rwanda and South Africa are more focused on providing better quality of life through smart city initiates such as transportation, electricity and water projects while the countries in the Middle Eastern region such as Israel and the United Arab Emirates are using smart city solutions to improve the efficiency of city services and enhance security measures.

Government performs the key function in leading the smart city projects as well as contributing funds for the initiatives in Africa and the Middle East. Telcos are primarily engaged in providing connectivity through investments in 4G and fibre-optic networks.