INTERNATIONAL
CALENDAR
       

5G deployment on metropolitan scales: private workshop for City Managers

A frank conversation between public and private stakeholders for 5G deployment

5G, the new global wireless standard that will allow for faster internet connection, innovative possibilities for automation, and remote operations of a myriad of services, depends primarily on infrastructure located in public space managed by city governments and metropolitan authorities.

At the same time, 5G deployment is a multi-stakeholder assignment in which public-private partnerships play a key role in the setting-up of infrastructure for its roll-out and provision of connectivity. Worldwide, most of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) providing connectivity for 5G services are private companies.

As public policy and regulatory decisions can have a significant impact on the development of 5G technology, there is a necessity of an active, constructive and complementary relations between public and private stakeholders for the deployment of 5G. 

At this exclusive workshop, we will explore both how such a favorable market environment could be created, and which roles local and regional governments, along with their private partners, can and shall assume.

This is an interactive activity facilitated by Alexander Heichlinger, Senior Expert and Consultant in city management, who will apply a problem-driven and solution-oriented methodology. All participants are encouraged to share their inspiring experiences, the difficulties of their routines, and their most pressing doubts, in a safe environment of trust among peers, which can foster the collective elaboration of innovative and creative solutions. 

Participants

  • Ramon Torra, General Manager of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area
  • Shuibin Xe, Secretary General of the Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office
  • Dr. Pan Guixin, Deputy General Manager of Network Capability Innovation Center of China Unicom Guangdong Branch     
  • Fernando de Pablo Martín, Director General of the Digital Office, Madrid Municipality
  • David Martin Valles, Head of Information Systems Service, Madrid Municipality
  • Ahmed AbuLaban, City Director, Ramallah Municipality
  • Marc Pérez, Innovation Manager, Barcelona City Council
  • Jaime Antonio Rugeles, ICT Solutions Developer, Medellín Municipality
  • Sarah de Oliveira Alcântara Martins, Coordinator of Information and Communication Technology Management, Prefeitura de São Paulo
     

Objectives

To learn about and exchange different perspectives and working solutions to the following questions, relating them to the implementation of 5G in the world’s major cities and metropolitan spaces:

  1. Costs: is it possible to ensure that 5G implementation is cost-neutral for end-users?
  2. Service distribution: how to account for differences in population density between areas while also trying to achieve equality of access to 5G?
  3. Steps of implementation: at which phase(s) is it ideal for the private sector to step in: before, during or after infrastructure set-up?
  4. Sectorial focus: which are the economic sectors that benefit the most from 5G? Should governments support the development of these sectors prior to the implementation of 5G infrastructure, or shall they be “naturally” bolstered by 5G implementation?


Practical information

  • Where & when? Online, on Wednesday, 20 October 2021, from 13:00 to 15:00 CEST (click here for your local time). A private link to access the meeting room will be provided to confirmed participants.
  • Who? This workshop is exclusive to Metropolis members, and will prioritise the participation of representatives who joined the previous steps of the City Managers Community in 2021. If you are a manager from the Metropolis membership who did not take part in the previous steps but are still interested in taking part in this workshop, please contact Lia Brum from the Metropolis Secretariat General.
  • Languages? Simultaneous interpretation will be provided between English, Spanish, and French.