In this Digital Age, part of what makes a great city is its connectedness to the Internet.
The growth of online business, smartphones with mobile applications, social networking, and GIS are instrumental in improving the quality of life in cities worldwide.
In New York City, for instance, GIS tracking was essential to delivering emergency services during Superstorm Sandy. In Tokyo and Seoul mobile banking is integral to everyday life. In Prague, Amsterdam, or Montreal youthful travelers easily keep in touch with home. The Internet, in short, is fundamental to urban life, and the more applications the better.
In this report, we at Future Cities have taken a look at the quality of Internet connectivity across cities worldwide, using the following criteria to let the cream rise to the top:
Average Internet connection speed. Faster is, of course, better. We consulted the most recent "State of the Internet" report from online tracking firm Akamai for information on services in cities worldwide.
Availability of citywide WiFi, preferably free and fast. Ubiquitous mobile communications demand cellular-based WiFi networks -- LTE (a.k.a. 4G LTE), WiMax, municipal broadband, and the like.
Openness to innovation. Cities that accommodate startups are more likely to enjoy the benefits of early access to emerging technologies, along with the economic boosts that come with exciting young companies.
Support of public data. Cities that open local data such as real estate records, 311 inquiries, location information, and various statistics to the public for creative use get our vote. Civic hackathons are a terrific vehicle for serving the public good via great city applications.
Security and data privacy. It won't matter much if a city has great Internet connectivity if citizens' identities are being stolen online. To make this list, cities had to stand up in terms of security.
So without further ado, we present you with our list, in no particular order. Enjoy -- and tell us what you think on the message board!
Internet connectivity Fascinating to read examples of how local communities are dramatically increasing their broadband speed through collaborative effort (e.g. residents laying their own cables at Arkholme in rural Lancashire, UK).
How woud you feel if Detroit spent money on "city sponsored wifi", knowing 1/2 their ambulances don't run and emergency reponders - police and fire - take 3 to 4 times longer to respond then national averages - if they respond at all.
Re: Internet connectivity Not great! Actually, while city-sponsored WiFi certainly helps keep a city connected, I personally am not really in favor of it. I've said on the boards here before that I think it's great if private businesses want to provide WiFi (it's a good way to attract patrons, after all). But I don't really think it should be on the cities themselves to do so, though some are trying/have tried. Indeed, as we write in this report, Seattle tried and then gave up but encouraged the private sector to take over as WiFi sponsors. As you rightly point out, there are other services cities need to spend money on. Again, surely a city that can manage to provide "free" WiFi is going to rank high for connectivity, but that doesn't mean I agree with those who think free citywide WiFi is a priority!
Re: Internet connectivity Yes, DIY or even better - work with your community. Group purchasing power can be a game changer! For example check out this initiative focused on utilities. Why not apply this model to broadband provision? http://www.eco-island.org/assets/docs/20111028_ecoisland_charter.pdf
Re: Internet connectivity Dunno, @chartist. Grassroots movements to obtain Internet connectivity are a struggle. I know, I did this in a rural area where I lived and it was quite an experience. It worked for awhile, but I am grateful it didn't have to be a long-haul solution.
Re: Internet connectivity Mary/All, I just had a bad experience today with poor Internet quality/bandwidth and it added to my interest in this thread. I also chuckled that maybe Microsoft is outperforming Google in one arena (Seattle). Anyway, my experience today made me hark back to the days of AOL and the mega-waiting for the simplest of downloads to occur. I also read once before that a significant amount of broadband in the US is used for Netflix watching. I guess I'm wondering what this capacity translates to in terms of productivity, enrichment, competitiveness, etc.
Re: Internet connectivity Ha, @PeterJ, yes, those were the bad old days when we had to wait for the materialization of the most basic pages on the Net.
Surprising to hear what people are doing with all that bandwidth, eh?
Don't forget, though, that businesses are enjoying the benefits of bandwidth. To me, that alone justifies the expense and effort to install better facilities.
And I agree, you have to wonder what's behind the resistance to moving forward. The US and Canada should be in the vanguard here, not taking up the rear.
Re: Internet connectivity Yes, Mary. It does seem we have lost the lead in connectivity and speed. We've had other discussions around attention to infrastructure, but your point about relevance to business is especially important. Broadband is a utility but service levels are so varied. I looked at a couple of articles about it today and leaders in technology really stress that it needs to be a federal priority to move us forward.
Re: Internet connectivity The problem with leaving the future of broadband in government hands is that, IMO, the government typically doesn't understand enough about Internet issues -- I mean the underlying technology issues as well as the application effects -- to make wise choices about regulation. Sad but true.
Re: Internet connectivity You raise a valid point, Mary. But I was thinking, perhaps we could give them more credit, assuming that they choose to bring in experts from the field when they embark on these kinds of projects. It would be futile if their efforts were half-baked.
Re: Internet connectivity @Hazel, yes, if the legislators bring in experts with the right amount of knowledge in the right areas. But if they don't know enough about what they don't know, it is likely they may trust "experts" with just surface knowledge -- or an axe to grind. Lobbyists aren't the best for making impartial technology judgments.
Re: Internet connectivity I agree, Peter. Looking at the list, it seems that many other cities have taken the lead. It should be made a federal priority, given the impact it has on businesses and education, but I can't help thinking that this could be because other sectors were prioritized.
Re: Internet connectivity I also have to think that the major ISPs have thwarted some of these efforts over time. it is perhaps a cynical view, by the major providers want paying customers, have heavy investment in infrastructure, and strive to protect eat their interests.
Blaming the government For those blaming the government for stalling US Internet progress, this report in the WSJ may shed some light on why we have less competition than other nations.
The link between US security and the telecom infrastructure seems to be holding up some activity that could result in a broader cast of carriers and ultimately faster services.
Re: internet cities I believe this is a critical element for cities to market themselves to the world and something that will only grow with importance in the coming years. Great post.
- Thank you for this fascinating study. Having lived in Geneva for several years, I can only second this report - it's very accurate. Something to keep in mind though, no matter how awesome your city's internet access is or the good reputation of your ISP providers, the problem is often the cost of living. Living in Geneva is crazy, even for Swiss residents. Prices are so high that living close to the urban center is at best a chimera. e-reputation
So while some very high-tech urban centers can boast unbelievable connectivity, the flip side of the coin is that it rarely benefits the common people.
Agreed totally agreed with your ISP provider thing. Mostly ISP are strictly monitize your activity and usage. Although they gave you unlimited usage but it was never true.
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