City strategies for a 5G small cell network on light poles

Smart city services will be enabled by data-based applications and low-latency, high-capacity city networks. Therefore, cities need a denser mobile network that can support the collection, aggregation, and analysis of sensor data. This article suggests three city strategies to facilitate the deployment of 5G small cells and sensor networks by taking advantage of light poles. To develop these strategies, we analyze value networks for the provision of connectivity and data services in the city context. We identify four value network configurations that can successfully operate the 5G light pole network by providing connectivity services. However, the recovery of investments may take a long time, given the high costs of civil works. To increase the attractiveness of investments, we also identify multiple VNCs that can generate complementary revenues from the exploitation of city data, reducing the payback time. Hence, we propose strategies with high/medium/low city involvement that exploit synergies between connectivity and data services.