Telenor Connexion pushes EU for smart city input

INTERVIEW: Telenor Connexion CTO Martin Whitlock (pictured) called for guidance from the European Union (EU) and government bodies to make smart cities a reality, noting developing the necessary technology was not the biggest challenge for the segment.

Whitlock said it was “hard” to say which party between industry players and authorities was most critical to advancing smart cities, but noted there is a need for both cooperation and the implementation of necessary regulation.

As an example, he pointed to the challenges related to self-driving cars, where input from the EU and government bodies was crucial. “I actually don’t think that the technology is the hardest part to overcome,” he said. “We need good guidance on how to solve insurance issues and responsibilities around that to make it happen.”

The executive added the whole ecosystem needed “to work the extra mile” to get to that stage, and even then clarity was required on additional less sensitive steps to ensure such solutions added both business and consumer value.

“I think we need to navigate this road ahead. We need guidance as an industry to make this a reality,” Whitlock said.