Author | Arantxa HerranzThe massification of cities and the abandonment of rural areas is a widely explored phenomenon and for which solutions are being sought. Perhaps it is the cause or perhaps the effect, but the truth is that one consequence of this population transfer is that large investments, including technological investments, often concentrate in these large cities, with the subsequent risk of generating an urban-rural digital divide. In fact, this is one of the objectives of the FAO, to close the Internet connectivity gap that exists between rural areas and urban areas.However, size should not matter when it comes to enjoying a digital life, the same as having access to other basic services such as water or electricity. Therefore, the European Union launched the WIFI4EU programme, with the aim of ensuring that the digital gap between large cities and smaller and more disperse towns does not get any wider.What is WiFi4EU? It is a European programme via which town councils can ask for subsidies so that their public spaces (such as parks, squares, official buildings, libraries, health centres and museums) not only have a Wi?Fi connection but high?quality Wi?Fi. The aim? For all citizens to have access to that connectivity, regardless of where they are or where they live.It is worth pointing out that, according to the objectives of the Digital Agenda, all Europeans should have access to high speed Internet (with a minimum of 30 Mbps). Furthermore, the goal is for half the population to be able to access broadband internet services delivering speeds in excess of 100 Mbps.
Island countries: small countries with major challenges
Smart growth vs new urbanism
Smart cities in the United States: which ones are making it to the top and their peculiarities
Israel's Smart Cities: Celebrating & sharing employees' and residents' innovation globally
Smart growth: principles and examples of smart urban planning
Why Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic Games
Ten keys to understand the post-COVID city
Transport Operations Platform: A smart city data platform by Accenture and Microsoft
MUSE by Citegestion unifies the city stakeholders around a digital patform
SAS For Flood Prediction & Preparedness: Improves real-time situational awareness allowing for a proactive response
Kenya's Konza Techno City: Is the project well planned?
Columbus, the smart city leading by example
Innovation and e-governance: which countries are at the forefront of digital government development?
There’s no smart city without a smart government
As cities fill tech gaps, power of smart cities unleashes
Augusto López-Claros | Keynote Session | Lessons from COVID-19 and the Future of the SDGs
Activating Strategic Alliances
Better Together: Partnerships for the Planet
Inauguration: Resilient Governance is Good Governance
Smart Cities: What Are the Requirements for Smart Governance?
Proprietary or open-source software? Arguments in favor and against
Tomorrow.Podcast 1x01: Are our cities more resilient than ever?
Smart AMB: can data lead us to deliver better urban services?
A New Space For Mayors. Bloomberg to Fund Harvard Center for Cities
Barcelona Provincial Council: this is how a smart region works
PODCAST 1x01 - Are our cities more resilient than ever?
Barcelona’s strategy to drive the 2030 Agenda in the city
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: cities become smarter by forming smart regions
Pablo Soto, regional representative of Transparency and Participation in Madrid: “Technology should be used to enhance institutions”
Metropolitan governance: extending municipal governments as a response to new urban challenges
How to go from being a town to a Smart Town
The G20 creates the Global Smart Cities Alliance to establish universal norms and guidelines for the implementation of technology
Citizens at the heart of smart cities
Paul Duan, co-founder and President of Bayes Impact: “We should trust in the power of the multitude”
Open government and citizen participation: a journey through history - Infographic
How and why do cities die?
Digital natives, technological illiterates?
New COVID-19 outbreaks: this is what the hammer and the dance will be like
Citizens policing our streets: is it lawful to report the inappropriate use of cities?
Smart cities that failed along the way
Can technology foster democracy?
Open data: how can they improve citizen engagement and the economy?
Cities are for people: towards a new conception of public spaces
Electronic voting, a reality that has little to do with virtual reality
Welcome to the Smart City Live!
How cities are using collective intelligence to fight the coronavirus
What makes a city attractive to talent?
Imec: Open digital twin framework
x-tention: Towards post covid-19 smart tourism
Arca: Wave control for better health
Recommended profiles for you
Intendencia de Flores
City of Los Angeles
ADA Compliance Officer for the City of Los Angeles
Head of R&D
Leningrad State University
Consejo de Jóvenes Profesionales
Docente UNNE\\nDirectora Guion Comunicación \\nCreadora de Somos Powerful
Istanbul metropolitan municipality
Bigdata & AI leader
IMREDD, Université Côte d'Azur
Coordinator of the MSc Engineers for Smart Cities
St.Petersburg Economic Committee
Octavio Arellano Arellano
Construir las Regiones, A.C.
Direcció general de Societat Digital - Generalitat de Catalunya
Directora general de Societat Digital de la Generalitat de Catalunya