Demos have released a new report around 3G with particular reference to London:
"London could turn itself into a wireless city with a new breed of public services which are delivered more efficiently and can respond to the increasing expectations of users in a consumer age. This is the conclusion of a detailed investigation into the potential of 3G mobile technology to improve city life. Trials in cities around the world – from parking payment by text in Vienna to Tokyo buses which send messages to passengers’ phones – show the potential of the next generation of mobile technology to improve the quality of urban life."
Demos: London Calling | press release | report as PDF
"The report also predicts the rise of new forms of social interaction using new mobile technologies. It calls on the mobile operators to offer ‘social software’ as part of their packages which would encourage uses such as video blogging and peer-to-peer networks."
Social software eh? It'll never catch on. Leaving aside the imperative for the mobile operators, I note the new SonyEricsson P900 has an instant messenging app built into it.
Update: great start to the Demos report:
"London is a city of flows. An endless stream of people, goods, information and money flow into the city, around the city and out of the city, supported by a complex infrastructure of networks. Sometimes haphazard, sometimes meticulously planned, these networks are crucial to the life of the city.What they do is connect, by adding new links and increasing the total number of transactions and interactions available to us. Every extension or improvement to London’s transport, utilities or telecommunications networks accelerates the pace of the city’s metabolism, driving and maintaining its success as a truly global city and the UK’s centre of wealth creation."
