Commenting on the trial to equip lamp posts in Singapore with various capabilities by the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office and the Government Technology Agency, SMU Associate Dean (Research) and Professor of Information Systems Archan Misra said that better education and disclosure is the solution to concerns of intrusion of privacy. He also warned that cybersecurity threats such as hacking and data leaks pose bigger threats to such communication infrastructure setup. He added that it is crucial for Singapore to proceed as it is “a showcase of what Smart City infrastructure can be” and Singapore is a leading smart city in ASEAN.
“There’s a lot of Smart City investments that are upcoming, and our ability to show that we can do it right positions us to be a top leader, to have the right business contracts and enable these cities to come up to speed over the next decade,” said Prof Misra. He also believed that the smart lamp post is still at least four years away from reaching a level where its capabilities will match its intent.
[Featured Photo: A "smart lamppost" prototype being tested for possible uses, to determine the kind technological capabilities that can be incorporated.]