Deutsche Telekom has announced a series of smart city initiatives ahead of the start of Mobile World Congress.

 Emeka Obiodu, principal analyst at Ovum comments:

“The standout initiative is its pilot project to provide a parking guide system for motorists in the Italian city of Pisa. Deutsche Telekom will integrate a number of parking spaces within a sensor-based parking management system in Piazza Carrara in the city center. The cooperation also includes a big data service, which analyzes historical traffic data to optimize the flow of traffic. Similarly, Deutsche Telekom will present the Smart Stadium solution, a connected and integrated concept for large events. The solution aims to create a more intense fan experience and simplify operational processes for major events.

“These announcements show the intensity of developments in the smart city ecosystem and we expect many more solutions to be on show in Barcelona. In our report, “Smart City Case Study: Santander, Spain”, Ovum drew attention to the plurality of available business models, especially with either the city council itself, or a service provider (such as a telco) as the prime customer for a “smart city as a service” solution.

“Deutsche Telekom clearly sees its role as the ‘service provider’ who is helping to nurture the smart city ecosystem. Yet, Ovum believes that there is scope for more, complex and nuanced, business models, especially in those environments where local governments have neither the budget nor the degree of centralized authority to be the ringmaster in a smart city implementation.”