By the end of 2011, China Telecom Shanghai has recruited more than 1.3 million users of the Metro Optical Network (MONET), meaning that the plan of “Smarter City” in Shanghai is turning into a reality at a fast pace.
　　As the main force of the construction of “Smarter City” in Shanghai, China Telecom Shanghai had already invested a huge amount of capital in the construction of MONET since 2009 and took the lead in recruiting over 1 million users in the major cities of China. In addition, it provided its users with free broadband upgrade and network speed increase based on the construction pace of the MONET. The prices for the mainstream 10Mb and 20Mb broadband packages in Shanghai are the lowest in China.
　　Zhang Weihua, general manager of China Telecom Shanghai, said that the“Smarter City” represents the intensive integration of information technologies, the combination of applications and the upgrade of information-based industries. It bestows cities with better innovation and development abilities, and is the new urban development pattern featuring Smart Technologies, Smart Industries, Smart Humanity, Smart Services, Smart Management and Smart Life.
　　China Telecom mainly assists in the construction of “Smarter City” in Shanghai from three aspects, including infrastructure construction, comprehensive platform and smart application.
　　
　　 A Universal Network Bridges the Smarter City
　　Like an extended and radiated traffic network essential for a prosperous city, the information infrastructure for the “Smarter City” provides a universal digitalized, intelligent and broadbandbased network of urban information.
　　At the beginning of 2011, China Telecom Shanghai established the goals of fully promoting the construction of information infrastructure of “MONET” and “Wireless City”: a) to make Shanghai the first city in China having MONET cover the whole city; b), to improve the broadband service of Shanghai to the international leading level.
　　On October 12, 2011, China Telecom Shanghai announced that the MONET had recruited over 1 million users and the number of 10Mb broadband users exceeded 500 thousand, marking the initial success of the construction of MONET. By the end of 2011, the MONET had reached more than 1.3 million users and could cover 4.5 million residents of Shanghai, still ahead of the other major cities in Shanghai.
　　The 1.3 million fiber-optic broadband users is not a single number. It contains a significant meaning of catalyzing the maturation of industry. Experts refer to the recruitment of 1 billion users as the avalanche point of the industrial development – this is the critical point of the industrial upgrade and the brand spreading effect will be triggered at any moment.
　　How did China Telecom Shanghai recruit 1 million MONET users in less than two years?
　　In January 2011, China Telecom Shanghai launched the first round of free broadband increase, which was followed by the campaign of “Increas- ing Internet Speed for MONET Users, Signing for Free Experiences and Feedbacks for SMEs” launched in October 2011. These two rounds of increasing network speed became the catalyst for the spreading of MONET. It is noteworthy that these two rounds of increasing network speed are both free. The “increasing speed without higher prices” of course won the applause from ordinary consumers.
　　China Telecom Shanghai worked local governments of different districts and management units of different communities to reconstruct the communication network in these communities. Then it dismissed the users’ worries through a series of propagandas. The new technology allows the fiber-optic cables to be installed without digging holes on the wall; the free network speed testing services were launched as well and the users who cannot enjoy the promised network speed can be compensated. These activities quickly improved the fame of MONET and thus more and more users began to apply for the connection to it.
　　During the construction of information infrastructure for “Smarter City”, the “Wireless City” and “MONET” are inseparable from each other like wings of a bird. The MONET assumes the responsibility of increasing the fixed-line speed and the Wireless City allows people to enjoy the mobile Internet at ease. China Telecom Shanghai also plays an important role in the construction of Wireless City.
　　It is known that China Telecom Shanghai has already deployed 7,300 WiFi hotspots in China, mainly distributed in the public transportation hubs, universities, hospitals, hotels and leisure chain stores. It plans to increase the number of WiFi hotspots to 20,000 within three years. In the “12th FiveYear Plan” (2011-2015), the public areas in Shanghai will be WiFi covered and the goal of Wireless City will be realized. Most of WiFi hotspots have 54Mb connection rate while in some central business districts the 100-300Mb mobile network is available.
　　 Comprehensive Platform as the Brain of “Smarter City”
　　The comprehensive cloud computing platform with great data analysis ability can analyze, calculate, handle, decide and store a huge amount of data. It is considered the brain of “Smarter City” and is also a comprehensive platform China Telecom Shanghai commit- ted itself to building.
　　From January 1, 2011, China Telecom Shanghai sent 100Gb E-Cloud Storage Space to each of its 1 million users, taking the lead in applying the cloud computing technology in the daily life of ordinary people.
　　On October 12, 2011, China Telecom Shanghai launched the “Commerce E-Cloud” cloud computing platform for the vast small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This platform provides all SMEs in Shanghai with cloud computing services which are highly cost-effective, user-friendly and practical, which could lower the startup cost of enterprises and improve their operation efficiency.
　　The “Commerce E-Cloud” platform has assembled IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Volitation Information, Golden Abacus, Huayan Software and other Chinese and foreign IT companies. It collects four categories or 40 kinds cloud technology-based products and owns the capacity for more than 200 thousand users. The platform undertakes the applications of cloud mainframe, cloud backup, cloud storage, cloud desktop, cloud call center and coordinated communication and covers three levels of Iaas, Paas and Saas.
　　If the cloud computing platform is the cradle for the growth of SMEs, the Call Center of China Telecom Shanghai is the hero behind the development of big companies. This center undertakes the outsourced services of Eastern Airline’s service hotline 95530. From 2011, the Credit Card Center of the Bank of Communications’ Kunshan Branch also became its customer.
　　The Asian-Pacific Information Hinge Platform is also an important project for the construction of “Smarter City”.
　　In the China Telecom Information Park, three buildings are specially built as the server rooms for the Chinese portal website Tecent. Baidu also entrusted its Data Center of East China to China Telecom. In Meilanhu, Baoshan District, the data center exclusives built for Internet companies have already been put into use. The companies settling down there can enjoy the favorable conditions of expenses China Telecom Shanghai provides for them. Some tailor-made services are more appealing. The video website Tudou.com, which is a big consumer of broadband, can adopt the service of “dynamic broadband” when the data traffic reaches its peak at noon to lower the total cost.
　　China Telecom plans to spend 2 billion yuan in building a data center platform that can accommodate 20 thousand mainframes during the “12th Five-Year Plan” to improve the data service of Shanghai and make this city match its status as the information hub in the Asian-Pacific region.
　　 Intelligent Applications Deliver Smart Flowers
　　The MONET forms a strong “skeleton” of the “Smarter City” and the abundant applications are the “blood and flesh” of the “Smarter City”. “The Smarter City should be the perfect combination of communication infrastructure and advanced applications,”several experts said. Zhang Weihua also said: “After the network speed increase of the MONET, how to improve the services and how to make Smarter City create fortune for ordinary people are what China Telecom needs to think of as a ‘participator of contents and applications. The information application is the core and spirit of the construction of Smarter City.”
　　The intelligent applications of“Smarter City” China Telecom Shanghai include Smart Transportation, Smart Security Guard, Smart Medical Service, Smart Community, Smart Environment Protection, Smart Campus, Smart Industry, Smart Energy Saving, Smart Positioning and Smart Public Utility.
　　According to the statistics, China Telecom Shanghai had spent more than 2 billion yuan in the social application of information technology since 2006 and finished about 200 important projects. It also brought a lot of intelligent applications into reality.
　　The “Smart Transportation” Telematics launched by China Telecom Shanghai and Onstar has the biggest influence among all applications. This service was at first applied in Buick and Cadillac and then extended to Regal, Chevrolet and other brands. Now it has about 400 thousand users and takes 85% of the national automotive information service market.
　　“The Wireless Digital Medical Service” is the intelligent application that is closest to the ordinary people. Right now it has been used in more than 60 hospitals of Shanghai and spread to over 30 community-level health service centers. In 2011, it was given more abundant contents and can be accessible for mobile phones, pad computers and PDAs. The service of “distance health supervision”is also used in the communities.
　　The most welcome application is the “E-Schoolbag”. From the beginning of 2011, eight kindergartens, primary and middle schools in Hongkou District saw the success of the tryout of this application, which was soon spread to Jinshan and Minhang. Devices with super-large screens and touch screens are installed in the classrooms, allowing teachers to open different kinds of software to display geometrical graphs, pictures and PPT files. The students can have face-to-face talk with teachers at home and download study materials from online.
　　The most practical intelligent application is to pay bills and download coupons via mobile phones. More and more retailers join in this circle and become“smarter”, bringing Shanghai close to an international shopping mall. The “Intellectual Information Broadcast” and “EPayment” launched by China Telecom Shanghai provides strong support for the new “Smart Business Circle”.