Page 333 - Shaping smarter and more sustainable cities - Striving for sustainable development goals

These solutions can be developed individually, but they must be transversal. It will allow to identify
synergies and opportunities for improvement, reduce costs, seek the well‐being of the population,
and thus, achieve a smart sustainable city.
There are two aspects to consider during the strategic planning of the deployment of ICT
infrastructure: first, the deployment of new ICT infrastructure itself; and second, the improvement
of current ICT infrastructure using new technologies. In the first case, the strategies can be
addressed both from the point of view of the previously mentioned stakeholders and also from the
point of view of the ICT infrastructure itself as an object to be upgraded. The last point of view needs
to include convergence strategies.

It is recommended that the formulation and implementation of policies and strategies are followed
by a multi – stakeholder (i.e., public and private, local and supra‐ and commercial and non‐
commercial) approach. However, conflicting interests from different stakeholders may arise. For
instance, there are differences of views between local governments and operators about the
consideration of providing free basic connectivity, since it can be seen as a form of unfair
competition by the operators, rather than a complement and a new civil right.

Regarding the point of view of infrastructure as an object to be upgraded, there is a natural
predisposition to match the classical networks (roads, energy, sanitation, etc.) with digital
technologies of communication and information. It is appropriate to note that the communication
networks have an impact on the physiognomy of cities, as demonstrated in the following images of
New York in the late nineteenth century where the web of high telegraph and telephone cables
brand the image of a networked city.

Figure 80 – New York (United States) at the end of the XIX century

The following images show the communication networks' impact on the physiognomy of some cities
in the developing world in the XXI century.

Figure 81 – Manila (Filipinas) and Vijayawada (India) at the beginning of XXI century

ITU‐T's Technical Reports and Specifications 323