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3G Mobiles promise better London living

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Parking meters that don’t jam and an end to queuing are just two of the improvements to Londoners’ lives promised by 3G mobile technology, according to a new Demos report called London Calling.

The report, which is published in partnership with Orange and Vodafone UK, concludes that significant improvements to our everyday lives may help to drive the uptake of 3G mobile services.

The key conclusions of the report are:

Wireless applications have the potential to transform public services in the same way that they are revolutionising services in the private sector. But, say the authors, the public sector must recognise that it can be a leader in developing new services based on these new mobile technologies.

For example, drivers in Vienna can now register their car and credit card details by phone and buy parking credits by text. The system sends them a warning when the meter is about to expire. A prototype bus at the Tokyo motor show last year demonstrated how passengers could receive information to their phones about approaching buses and pay their fares.

“Wireless technology has already made a big difference in the private sector and there is a big opportunity for the public sector to take a lead in developing new applications which could make a real difference to our everyday lives,” say the report’s authors, Helen McCarthyand Paul Miller.

“From hospitals to schools, public services already have the infrastructure which would be totally transformed by using wireless technology to link users to information about those services.”

London boroughs such as Lewisham are recognising that using the speed and interactive potential of mobile technology can not only deliver more efficient public services but also make them more accountable and responsive to citizens’ needs.

The authors argue that mobile technology would not only deliver more efficient public services but could actually change the way people interact with local government and public bodies. The GLA has already promised fully interactive access to its decision-making processes, including the use of texting as a consultation tool.

This is a vision of ‘e-democracy’ that goes beyond automated voting. 3G can be seen as ‘democratic’ as it is the easiest way for people without PCs to access high-speed data services. The authors believe that 3G offers the possibility of greater social participation, with users creating and sharing their own content.

“London life has already been altered by the use of these emerging technologies in ways that the mobile operators hadn’t fully predicted – as has already happened with the massive enthusiasm for texting,” say Helen McCarthy and Paul Miller.

“3G technology will bring about new social connections if the operators encourage the development of applications which enable people to create and share their own content.”

Notes to editors

  1. Demos is an independent think tank with a long-standing interest in the impact of new technology on society.
  2. Helen McCarthy and Paul Miller are researchers at Demos.
  3. London Calling: How mobile technologies can transform a city is published by Demos on Monday 20 October. It is the report of a research project supported by Orange and Vodafone UK.