Tech and demographic trends present risks as well as rewards

In addition to the growth of mobile technology, there are huge changes to the availability and application of digital technology more generally within Africa, which presents both opportunity and risk to organisations seeking to develop smart cities.

Technologies and networks are converging

Emerging technologies that can be applied to make a city “smart” are often applied together, and prospective use cases usually require combinations of technologies in order to be truly effective. After a time horizon of 10 years, it is difficult to predict what combinations of technologies will become mainstream. It’s important to bear these potential combinations of digital technology in mind, as it may drastically impact what problems can be solved and how they might be solved. The challenge for cities is therefore to bring the different technological sectors together and make them work on the basis of citizens’ needs.

The development of 5G worldwide, and its eventual adoption in African contexts, allows for a range of new technologies to develop, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Artificial Intelligence (AI) is when computers are used to automate decision-making in a way that is meant to mimic human- like intelligence. The term IoT, on the other hand, describes each ‘thing’ connected to the internet, but is often used today to define objects that communicate data with each other, such as sensors or smartphones. Increasing amounts of information can therefore be collected on city infrastructure and citizens. Many of these are possible even before 5G, for example for IoT networks Sigfox or LoRA are LWPAN networks that already work without 5G.

The uses of personal communication are far more widespread than productive uses for economic, social or political purposes of empowerment and inclusion. Basic voice communication by mobile phone is more widespread than Internet access and, more generally, frugal solutions (GPS, UAVs) are spreading faster than IoT, AI or data centres. However, we are seeing the deployment by private operators of LoRA networks enabling the widespread use of connected objects (IoT), particularly in Rwanda in the context of Smart City operations.

“ We are already observing the convergence of networks such as electricity and mobility, a key element of smart cities. As responsible parties for some of these services, local governments should increasingly take this trend into account.”

Overall, the convergence of technologies and their digital interconnectedness present both challenges and opportunities. The increased decentralisation of electricity, for example, is an example of a resource that can be increasingly commoditized, and that can put economic power back in the hands of citizens. However, the increased interconnectedness of these technologies also calls for robust digital infrastructure, and an appreciation that the control and use of digital data is of increasing importance to social and economic systems. For the benefits of a smart city to be shared equally, ensuring that this data is produced, distributed and consumed in a decentralised way is, therefore, fundamentally important²⁰.

The data ownership – privacy debate

Smart and internet-enabled mobile phones, which will rise from 39% of all African handsets in 2018, to 66% in 202521, increasingly act as means to connect populations and offer potential to introduce new business models and services to African populations. The proliferation of data generated by smartphones allows digital platforms to offer their services to consumers, including major companies such as Google, Uber, Waze, or social networks such as Facebook.

But local authorities have often seen citizen data being collected by private companies without being able to use the data for their own purposes. Indeed, local authorities can be in confrontation with online plat- forms, who have access to data on their citizens that could be analysed for projects for the public good. But local government and private parties can also cooperate together around this data. For example, the not-for-profit consortium OPAL is developing a set of algorithms that can be used to share private data publicly without compromising personal privacy. The project began in 2017 with a trial with the government of Senegal and telecoms operator Orange-Sonatel, and runs on an open platform²².

The question of individual privacy is, additionally, concerned with the safe control and use of personal data. Trust in the purpose of collection of personal data by government and whether it is proportionate to the need at hand is crucial if trust is to be maintained between the government and its citizens. On the other hand, when trust in institutions is low, we have seen how online information has been used not only to coordinate activity – such as seen during the Arab Spring – but to expose government indiscretions. In Kenya, in 2007, citizens (bloggers and software developers) decided to create an online platform to report on post-election violence. They created Ushahidi, which means “Testimony” in Swahili.

“Digital connectivity presents a huge opportunity for governments to engage with citizens. If adopted effectively by municipalities, this could lead to much more effective decision making and improved user experiences for citizens. If adopted poorly, it may result in the decay of trust between citizens and institutions, underwritten by ineffective processes and systems.”