Fast internet access should be a basic right, but the digital divide is real: 1.1bn people, just 15 per cent of the global population, can afford access to high-speed broadband.
Until everyone can participate in the connected world of the future, leaders of government and industry alike are failing. The good news is, we're making progress. Take the US example: thanks to public-private programmes such as LinkNYC, Google Fiber, and HUD's ConnectHome, the US is building a strong foundation of ubiquitous connectivity, especially across metropolitan areas.
When nations do finally close the digital divide, everything will change in cities. By harvesting an endless stream of real-time data in a thoughtful way, cities can improve virtually every aspect of quality of life: cost of living, rent, convenience, health, safety, job or education opportunities, even the spontaneity that makes urban life so inspiring. Connectivity will enhance it all.
2017 will be the year when technology and government leaders shift their focus from providing connectivity to imagining how it can radically transform cities and help reduce inequality.
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With connectivity for all, you can start to imagine ways of doing even more to close the health care gap. Telehealth can bring a share of personal care right to a living room, saving travel time and preventing the spread of illness. Connected home devices - from smart mirrors and toilets to wearables - can conduct routine health and fitness diagnostics and make it easier to communicate with frontline providers. On-demand delivery of medical equipment or prescriptions could potentially expand access while reducing cost.
Connectivity can also help cities improve transportation equity, particularly when it comes to access to employment: the number of jobs within an average commute distance is falling, with poor and minority communities suffering the most. Over time this combination of fewer job opportunities and longer commutes makes it harder for low-income families to climb the social ranks.
Fully connected streets can help cities re-imagine travel and expand job access across a metro region. On-demand ride services can connect workers to jobs, eliminate the cost of car ownership and reduce commute times. Data analytics can help cities understand travel patterns and increase bus or train service on routes during periods of high demand. Connected fare tech can provide subsidies to low-income riders and charge lower prices for shared rides.
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Housing equity can improve with connectivity, too. Connected buildings let cities re-imagine housing regulations in ways that drive down costs and encourage flexibility. Sensor networks linked to city databases can monitor environmental impacts like noise and air quality in real time, enabling simpler building codes and new zoning regulations that can encourage faster development and radical mixed-use neighbourhoods.
Online permitting can reduce timelines and transactional costs. All of this will lead to more efficient use of land and buildings, which can produce more affordable development that keeps pace with demand. Ubiquitous connectivity has the power to make many critical areas of urban life more efficient, personalised, adaptable and transparent.
Of course, the public discussion of these broad social benefits must include concerns with connectivity, especially around privacy and data security. But we're standing at a special moment when it comes to the convergence of the digital and physical environments. As long as we continue to close the connectivity gap in a responsible way, 2017 will be remembered as the year when the street finally begins to meet the cloud.
The WIRED World in 2017is WIRED's fifth annual trends briefing, predicting what's coming next in the worlds of technology, science and design
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
