????? LoRaWAN is the Next Big Thing ?? in Asian Smart Cities
Kris Villanueva-Libunao, PMP
Ethical Smart Cities | Ex-Undersecretary & Deputy to the National Security Adviser | Digital Gov & Smart City Advisor | Professor
Week 30 of 2023
Hey, Smartivists!?
Welcome to the #SmartsNewsletter, your 3-minute weekly pass to the forefront of smart cities, tech, innovations, and regulations in Asia!?
This week, let’s congratulate ?? the top 15 innovative solutions targeting the cities of Chiang Mai (Thailand ????), Sihanoukville (Cambodia ???? ), and Surabaya (Indonesia ????), learn about how LoRaWAN is the next big thing in Asian Smart Cities especially in the ???? Philippines and examine the newly released Generative AI measures in ???? China!
Read on, and may the #smartcity ?? force be with you! ??
???? Seedstars Reveals Top 15 ?? Startups for the Smart Cities Innovation Lab in Asia
15 startups have been selected from a shortlist by Seedstars Switzerland for their Smart Cities Innovation Lab (SCIL) program. So, what’s SCIL? To address the problems caused by urbanization, like smart trash management, shared mobility services, and food waste reduction, in the Asia-Pacific region, SCIL invites companies to collaborate with local governments on innovative ideas for sustainable urban development. Among the shortlisted startups include:?
?? Takeaway? In smart city challenges like SCIL, the local governments are usually the customers which means it involves long sales cycles and of course the big B! Bureaucracy. The current procurement process, especially in the Philippines, involves multiple rounds of proposals, evaluations, and negotiations, which can take months or even years. But fear not! There’s hope! Looks like one of the goals of Seedstars is to build long-term collaborations between innovation communities, governments, and development partners. Also, check out this country's case studies on innovative procurement processes from OECD!?
领英推荐
????? LoRaWAN is the Next Big Thing ?? in Asian Smart Cities
Do you know what LoRaWan is? It stands for Long Range Wide Area Network and is a widely used wireless communication technology for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. IoT what?!? IoT is all about connecting physical objects to the internet so they can transmit and receive data, such as your phone, car, or refrigerator. Alexa or Google home, anyone? Lorawan is growing significantly in the Asia-Pacific area. One of the largest deployments is in the Philippines, where over 6,000 gateways are installed as part of a national public LoRaWan network. In smart cities, the technology is used for things like energy management, street lighting, and environmental monitoring.
?? Takeaway? The fact is that LoRaWAN is a secure technology for IoT applications, but there are still significant security issues, especially if the devices and gateways are not in a secure location. Smart cities need to take some precautions to safeguard their LoRaWAN networks like data encryption, secure authentication, and making sure that everything is physically safe. Also,having a cybersecurity strategy in place will enable city officials to act swiftly and inform the public of the situation in the event that something goes wrong.
?? Regulation Refresh
Generative AI Regulation: China ???? Takes the Lead
China just released its first legal measure on artificial intelligence (AI) called the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services. And it’s all about promoting healthy development and standardizing the use of AI in China. These interim rules will come into effect on August 15, 2023. It covers everything from defining what AI is, to licensing AI service providers, to protecting personal data, and even preventing AI from being misused. And wait, there’s more! They've also created a new group called the National Artificial Intelligence Administration to make sure everyone follows the rules. While it's definitely a big step forward for regulating AI in China, some experts are worried that the rules could be too strict and slow down innovation. Click here for the full law.
?? Takeaway? ?The new rules on generative AI are not as tough as everyone thought, probably because China's all pumped to be the AI giant by 2030. In reality, China has got some hurdles to jump like its closed online ecosystems and the U.S. holding back on exporting semiconductors. Despite these proactive measures in China, government oversight of the AI industry and the ability to monetize AI goods are still unknown. The measures will kick in on August 15, 2023. We'll be keeping an eye on how it will work out.