The development of smart poles on a global scale is still in its infancy, with potential business opportunities projected to reach a staggering US$120 billion in the coming decade. Hwacom Systems characterizes 5G-enabled smart poles as the indispensable 'eyes' of smart cities, serving as a foundational infrastructure driving the advancement of smart cities and spurring innovation in various industries.
Hwacom Systems is a member of the 5G Smart Pole Standard Promotion Alliance(5G SPSPA). The company emphasizes that as technologies such as 5G, AI, and Industrial IoT (IIoT) become increasingly intertwined, smart poles can become pivotal benchmarks for a range of vertical applications, encompassing 5G micro base stations, street lighting, environmental monitoring, security surveillance, and electric vehicle charging stations. This progression aligns to create an integrated one-stop service combining both hardware and software systems.
However, as more applications converge, ensuring seamless interoperability of diverse information is a paramount challenge. Hwacom Systems underscores the urgency of setting standards in the smart pole development domain due to the lack of international standards, hindering large-scale deployment. Taiwan should leverage its advantages in ICT and 5G communication industries to pioneer the development and validation of standards, thereby establishing a comprehensive industry chain before others stake their claims.
Previously, the industry collectively established the alliance, with T. H. Tung, Chairman of Pegatron, leading the alliance. The alliance's membership includes Chunghwa Telecom, Compal, Hwacom Systems, Auden, and 51 other companies. Tung envisions that if the need for smart cities arises globally, they can turn to Taiwan for inspiration, as Taiwan boasts high competitiveness in terms of quality and price.
Hwacom Systems elaborates on the current focal points of smart pole development, which include serving as a power source for solar panels to harness clean energy, functioning as miniature weather stations and base stations for collecting environmental data, and operating as wireless hotspots for sharing. Additionally, more mature applications encompass real-time video surveillance, license plate recognition for law enforcement, and the integration of digital billboards for information dissemination.
In light of the recent surge in traffic accidents, Taiwan has often been labeled as a "pedestrian nightmare." Hwacom Systems highlights the emerging trend of combining smart poles with micro base stations, which could significantly contribute to the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology.
For instance, in the past, blind spots during turns frequently led to collisions with pedestrians. However, in the future, the dense array of smart pole cameras offering 360-degree panoramic monitoring can provide real-time information to drivers, serving as an early warning system.
Taiwan's densely populated urban areas have long grappled with unresolved traffic congestion. Addressing traffic flow challenges, Hwacom Systems envisions a departure from traditional fixed-timing traffic signals at intersections. Instead, he proposes dynamic traffic analysis through AI image recognition, incorporating information such as traffic direction, lane attributes, turning behavior, vehicle types, and real-time adjustment of signal timings. It's noteworthy that Hwacom Systems is currently engaged in this traffic flow analysis application in collaboration with the Taipei City Government.
According to data from Global Industry Analysts, the global smart pole market amounted to approximately US$13.7 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to grow at a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%. In the context of the Taiwanese market, both Taipei and New Taipei City possess the potential to replace 160,000 and 110,000 traditional poles, respectively, with 5G smart poles, promising substantial business opportunities."
Article translated by Vyra Wu
