The arrival of faster wireless networks, ubiquitous sensors, smarter software, and new methods for delivering connectivity are reshaping cities and societies.
The need for greater digital connectivity will be at the forefront of many nations’ agendas following the Covid-19 pandemic. In the U.S., deliberations are underway about a $2 trillion infrastructure program that, if well-designed, could provide a once-in-a-century opportunity for the U.S. to reaffirm its global leadership in the digital infrastructure of the future.
China’s technology ambitions appeared imperiled by Covid-19, but the pandemic is already providing new opportunities for China’s rise as a technology power and global provider of digital infrastructure.
Beijing’s willingness to start new international institutions underscores its global ambitions and adds weight to its rhetoric about creating an alternative order, but it would be a mistake to exaggerate their current scale and effectiveness.
A trilogy of corruption and bribery cases centered around Uzbekistan’s telecommunications market have reverberated through international courts, highlighting just how severe the global risks can be of deciding to pay off politically connected elites in even the most closed and far-off countries.
As the world becomes increasingly urban and digital, smart cities are emerging as ground-zero for new approaches to development and governance. On Thursday, January 23rd, a diverse group of experts convened as CSIS to distinguish between leading smart city models and discuss how their technologies, including in the areas of public safety and surveillance, are impacting the power of citizens, governments, and corporations.