IoT

During the past decade, there has been rapid growth of the smart cities movement – improving critical public service delivery, while reducing cost over the long run, through the Internet of Things, real time data gathering, better sensors and integrated systems management. The pace of growth is resulting in a wide variety of do-it-yourself models for smart communities to address their IoT data management and analysis needs. If there are advantages in connecting all of the various components of the complex business of a local government, it follows that there have to be economy of scale opportunities for even greater efficiencies and innovations by connecting Smart Cities’ data systems to each other. US Ignite and the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) recently announced a strategic alliance to provide the platform to help municipalities of all sizes to work together to develop a blueprint for a “secure and interoperable exchange of data beyond city operational boundaries.”

The Internet of Things (IoT) is all the rage within the information and telecommunications sector and has both applications and implications for every aspect of your life. IoT is described by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as “the connection of physical objects, infrastructure, and environments to various identifiers, sensors, networks and computing capability.” It will enable many existing industries to better track, manage and automate core functions, and as a result, other industries, services and means of doing everyday tasks will be altered in ways predicted and yet unimagined.  Will your life be simultaneously improved and diminished? Will convenience override any privacy concerns you might have? NITA has issued a request for public comments on the future benefits and challenges of IoT. SSTI encourages everyone to consider responding to any or all of the 28 questions outlined in the notice, available here. The deadline for filing comments is 5:00 P.M. ET on May 23, 2016.