Smart Cities have been one of the long-standing focuses in several developing regions of Indonesia. A Smart City represents a modern urban environment where technology will be the key factor in realizing a sustainable and efficient community life.

In most people’s minds, a Smart City is an urban ecosystem where the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Autonomous Vehicle powered by 5G infrastructure are common and accessible to all.

A city like this does indeed sound very futuristic and ideal, but if we analyze further, the development of a Smart City requires collaboration from many fields. A crucial factor for a city to transform into a Smart City is to find ways to collect and utilize data to improve services and the quality of life for its residents.

This means that advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Automation are not the only requirements to fulfill. Data Centers will also play a fundamentally important role in realizing the concept of a Smart City by storing and managing data as well as an interconnection hub to link these services to end users.

In this article, we will take you on a journey to explore the role of Green Data Centers in building a safe and environmentally friendly Smart City.

Why do Smart City Projects Need Data Centers?

If we were to draw an analogy, Data Centers are the backbone that will support every aspect of smart city management, especially for data storage and processing needs.

For example, when a smart city project aims to implement autonomous vehicles or digitally-based healthcare services, this kind of project requires storage and processing of vast amounts of data with fast connectivity to ensure the real-time response required. This is where Data Centers can play a crucial role in providing the necessary infrastructure.

In addition, the Data Center can also help other technologies that are currently developed in Indonesia such as 5G technology, to be utilized optimally, for mass usage in the country as an integral part of the vast population.

Through integrated services, the government can benefit from this setup, starting with more effective data management, maximizing health services, Big Data analysis, monitoring education and other important public services.

The challenge that needs to be solved in these services is also related to data management, which can reach terabytes by conservative estimate. In this critical area, interconnected data centers such as EDGE DC can help support integrated services through a low latency connectivity and highly scalable IT infrastructure.

The data center will be a single platform that will store and process all the data collected. Meanwhile, 5G technology will help the public and related parties to have greater access to relevant data with faster speed, enabling a new generation of tech-driven services to benefit the public and reduced reliance on manual processes. 

Can Data Centers Support Environmental Issues?

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly prominent, prompting the need for new breakthroughs to support carbon emissions reduction campaigns.

It is impossible for the Data Center industry to ignore this issue as their operations require significant energy consumption, which contributes significantly to carbon emissions. According to data from the Climate Neutral Group, Data Centers around the world contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for at least 2% of the total global emissions.

However, despite criticism regarding the substantial energy consumption of Data Centers, it cannot be denied that Data Centers also play a central and irreplaceable role to support the growth of the digital economy globally.

In fact, there are steps that can be taken to help reduce energy consumption in Data Centers, one of which is the use of Green Data Centers. These infrastructure facilities are designed to minimize environmental impact, starting with selecting more environmentally friendly energy sources and using innovative technologies to optimize energy consumption.

In other words, Green Data Centers can contribute to the realization of smart city projects that many people dream of, without disregarding environmental concerns. Through this simple explanation, we can understand that the advancement of the digital economy can go hand in hand with environmental issues.