NTT Group said it will conduct one of the first Asian smart city proof of concept (PoC) in the Cyberjaya area of Malaysia next month, in cooperation with local stakeholders.
The month-long POC between February and March this year is part of the  Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ FY 2019 project "Research on Smart City Model for Solving Social Problems in Malaysia".
Japan and Malaysia have a close bilateral relationship through the Look East policy started by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1981. Since that time, there have been high expectations that Japanese companies will use technologies and know-how cultivated globally, to help solve social issues and contribute to  Malaysia’s economic development.
Piloting smart city concepts in Cyberjaya
NTT Group will perform the smart city POC with local partners Cyberview, which will help in the implementation of the field test, stakeholder coordination and business model development, and Allo, which will be tasked to provision the optical fibre needed by the infrastructure.
Meanwhile, as the centre of the country’s Multimedia Super Corridor, the city of Cyberjaya has been chosen as the test area for the smart city concept.
Through this PoC, NTT Group aims to establish a sustainable business model while verifying the possibility of solving social issues in Asia, utilising the technologies and know-how accumulated in the smart city field in the United States.
Addressing road congestions
According to the company, one of the societal issues that it would like to address during the smart city POC is the perennial road congestions plaguing Malaysian streets. The company aims to find solution to the problem by collecting data and using vehicle information.
During the field test based on the vehicle monitoring solution that has been provided in the City of Las Vegas since February 2019, NTT Group will customise and provide similar solution to support the needs of local stakeholders. Specifically, by installing cameras at the intersection with the highest traffic volume in Cyberjaya, and analysing traffic volume and vehicle information, NTT Group aims to reduce traffic congestion, detect stolen vehicles, and support the creation of businesses in the neighbourhood.
Based on the results of the field tests, NTT Group will verify several points through discussions with stakeholders. These are:
- Challenges and feasibility of smart city solutions deployed in Coty of Las Vegas in terms of system construction and operational aspects in Malaysia
- Possibility of business model development using the technology (Application Examples: Public Safety, Smart Infrastructure, Commercial Use)
- Possibility of deployment to ASEAN countries (Reflecting market trends, legal systems, and local stakeholders' needs)
Based on the results of the PoC, NTT Group said it will promote the deployment of smart city solutions to Cyberjaya and other cities in Malaysia, as well as to ASEAN countries, with the aim of improving people's living conditions, improving urban sustainability, and realising a smart society.
