Cities, nationally and globally, are embarking on innovative efforts to harness the benefits of rapidly emerging technologies to improve citizens’ quality of life, increase operational efficiency, and enhance economic vitality and sustainability.
These efforts often involve changing the nature of data storage and transfer, primarily by moving these steps from data storage “clouds” to local data centers closer to the application.
Since Power Systems Research began tracking global equipment manufacturers in 1976, its analysts have been aware of new technologies and electrification trends such as these which can affect future markets. Today, we’re closely following these changes in data transfer and storage.
We’re especially interested in the two essential metrics of data handling change—volume and processing time— because the structure of data networks also is changing. In many cases, it’s not practical to send vast amounts of data to the cloud to be processed and then wait for the results. Now, it’s often necessary to have smaller data centers located near the activity, at the edge of the action, if you will.
Edge data centers also feature many micropower grids, not a small number of wide-spread grids that could disrupt large areas and hundreds of thousands of individuals if they fail.
There are growing advantages and applications for edge data centers.
Communities mainly benefit from their high-tech economy, as companies incorporate many of these new capabilities. The residents of these communities can take advantage of new technology and the talented workforce that expects its city to benefit from technology effectively.
A so-called smart city leverages advances in sensors, devices controllers, and instruments that are connected to the internet and other systems – essentially the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies – to produce data that can be analyzed to inform decisions, improve services and optimize operations.
Advances in analytics and machine learning can support the city in moving from reactive to proactive actions and eventually to predictive processes. Potentially, this approach could produce a bright future for large urban cities. So, what about rural communities?
When connectivity helps rural communities thrive, it produces multiple benefits for residents, businesses, states, and the nation as a whole.
Business. Businesses can access new, previously untapped markets—finding new customers or designing new products to meet the needs of emerging customer segments. Companies can provide flexibility for employees who may want to live in rural communities and telework, at the same time they tap into a broader talent pool and improve retention rates.
With access to new sources of talent, businesses can gain new perspectives, innovations, and ideas. Agribusiness players, for example, can easier access people who grew up on farms and understand the business needs of farmers.
Finally, connectivity can enable new ways of working and increase access to technologies that streamline operations, increase efficiencies, and create more overall productivity. These improvements could transform businesses and even whole industries.
States. States could be better positioned to serve the needs of their people, gaining insights into unique community requirements and matching delivery of critical programs and funding to people. Continuous access to network infrastructure can improve interoperability and interconnectivity between rural and urban areas, better connecting regions across states.
Rural residents can stay virtually and physically connected with nearby urban hubs and suburban towns that offer unavailable opportunities at home, reducing flights from rural areas. Rural and urban interoperability can create opportunities for “smart regions” that share best practices and collaborate on common issues. Also, states can close gaps in critical areas of development for distressed pockets of the state along several dimensions (such as workforce development, health care, and education), producing a higher-skilled labor force that can work with complex technology to drive innovation and growth ultimately.
The nation. Improving quality of life and employment options may help reduce poverty rates and associated epidemics. By better engaging communities and residents, the federal government can improve its feedback loop, helping it to improve customer service and better match federal programs to people’s needs.
These communication channels could also help give people living in rural areas a greater voice in government. Finally, the concept of intelligent rural communities could drive benefits for the entire nation, increase efficiencies in industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, education, and health care to stimulate the economy and improve the gross domestic product.
In short, helping rural America helps the nation and enhancing connectivity could help millions of Americans thrive and pave the way for rural communities to prosper. PSR
John Krzesicki is Business Development Manager for Power Systems Research
