Page 61 - International Standards to Shape Smart Sustainable Cities: The Case of Moscow

Implementing ITU-T International Standards to shape Smart Sustainable Cities - The case of Moscow

This is much higher than the average penetration rate of approximately 30%, as reported
by the OECD, and reports well to two important UN indicators: SDG Indicator 17.6.2: Fixed
Internet broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed, and SDG Indicator 17.8.1:
Proportion of individuals using the Internet.

Mobile internet is also highly prevalent, with an impressive 98.9 per cent of the city served by
4G, and 99.6 per cent with 3G wireless broadband. At the same time, mobile internet remains
affordable. It costs Muscovites eight times less to access mobile internet than New Yorkers. This
is particularly important as most Smart City applications are now usually accessed through
mobile applications. High speed mobile internet capabilities are required in order to take
advantage of these applications.

Coverage of high-speed mobile internet from providers, therefore, is key to enabling these
capabilities, and is also important within the context of SDG Indicator 17.8.1: Proportion
of individuals using the Internet, SDG Indicator 9.C.1: Percentage of population covered by
a mobile network, by technology, and SDG Indicator 5.B.1: Proportion of individuals who
own a mobile telephone, by sex.

Widely accessible and affordable internet connection has fostered a high-tech, knowledge-
based economy that allows Moscow to compete in the global marketplace. It offers
opportunities for further direct investments just as other global high-tech centres are
experiencing saturation. It is vital that Moscow’s public policy continues to foster and incentivize
further scientific innovation and technological growth via smart applications. The U4SSC KPI
Number of new patents granted per 100 000 inhabitants per year, for which Moscow reported
a value of 71.59 in 2017, is an indicator that can contribute to monitoring the effectiveness of
such innovation-related public policy. Surprisingly, for a highly innovative city, Moscow does not
invest too much in research and development (R&D), spending just 2.26 per cent on R&D as a
percentage of the city’s GDP. A closer look shows that this is made possible by Moscow’s high
level of partnership with the private sector, with many key ICT initiatives in the city (such as
surveillance cameras) being funded by establishing a working relationship with private entities.

Transport

At present, 100 per cent of Moscow’s major road infrastructures (e.g. highways and arterial
roads) are monitored electronically by in-road sensors or cameras (or a combination of the two),
and 51.41 per cent of Moscow’s signal-controlled road intersections use adaptive traffic control
or prioritization measures that allow for the traffic signals to respond to on-going traffic
patterns. Adaptive traffic control and prioritization measurements include embedded road
sensors that change traffic signals based on actual vehicle flow and other comparable sensors
that provide similar functions. This can lead to less idling time for cars at intersections and
better traffic flow. Currently, this ratio of travel time during peak periods to travel time at free
flow periods is 1.82 in Moscow.

Every single urban public transport stop in Moscow offers dynamic travel information in real
time. This holds true for Moscow’s entire public transport network of 12 801 kilometres (one
way) or 102.41 km per 100 000 of the city’s inhabitants, including both high capacity (e.g. heavy
rail, metro, subway systems and commuter rail systems) and light capacity (e.g. light rail
streetcars and trams, buses, trolleybuses) components of the overall traffic system. This is made
possible because all of the city’s vehicles, including public transport and municipal vehicles, are

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