Redefining Urban Life

Cities will be the major arena in which ICT can bring solutions for economic, social, and sustainable growth. Cities have always been places where creativity has flourished, thanks to the many meetings that inevitably happen in dense urban areas. Connectivity will enable creativity, innovation and, ultimately, socioeconomic development.

Facts and figures

• The urban population grows by 7,500 people every single hour.
• Today more than 50% of the world's population lives in cities,
• In the year of 2050 it will be 70%
• Half of China’s population live in cities, almost 700 million people.
• China continues to build completely new cities and is predicted to have 221 cities with populations of more than 1 million by 2025.

Market facts

100 largest cities based on GDP 2020 predictions (Source: World Bank)

• 3 main operators active in each city
• Radio mobile technologies (GSM/WCDMA/LTE/CDMA) run by the 3 main operators in each city
• Vendors of each operator per technology per city (Contractual perspective)

NOTE: Data regarding operators, technologies and vendors are as per end of Q1 2012.

Assumptions & Weighting:

• For each technology, the assumption is that if there is more than one vendor for an operator in a city the share among vendors splits equally
• Vendor’s positioning per city and operator is weighted by the city’s GDP. That is, vendors in large cities weight heavier than those in small cities.

Ericsson is the best positioned vendor in the 100 largest (GDP) cities, with a share more than twice the size as that of its closest competitor. We hold 41% market share for wireless equipment in the world's top cities.

ConsumerLab research

Did you know that people walk faster in cities? The larger the city, the faster you walk. Ericsson ConsumerLab research shows that if you move from a semi-rural area to an urban core, the size of your social network increases by 40 percent. Read the full report here.

Indepth information

• Shaping sustainable cities in the Networked Society
• Business Review article
• Networked Society City Index
• Patrik Regårdh, Networked Society Evangelist discusses the benefits ICT brings to cities
• Networked Society City Index interactive tool
• Collaboration fora
• Building cities for the Networked Society

Videos & photos

Thinking Cities Documentary

• Documentary featuring leading city thinkers including Geoffrey West, physicist and professor at Santa Fe Institute; Mathieu Lefevre of New Cities Foundation and Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT Senseable City Lab
• The Smart City
• The Social City
• The Science of Cities
• The Talking City

Photos