Smart Light Pole Development in Key Cities — Exploring the Guangzhou and Shenzhen Models
“Smart light poles are in fact a typical case of smart city development and have become a hot topic in the industry. At present, the two issues everyone is most concerned about are: the government’s management structure and the project operation model. How are the government structures organized in different cities? In places such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, different government departments are taking the lead, and issues such as management mechanisms and ownership allocation are still being explored.
When it comes to operation models, how to balance the accounts is a crucial question. In Shanghai and Shenzhen, the situation is relatively straightforward: the local governments have strong fiscal capacity, and projects are fully financed by the government. But for other cities, how should these challenges be addressed?
During the advancement of smart light pole construction, different cities have adopted different approaches. What problems have they encountered? What lessons have they learned? And how did they solve them? Clear answers to these questions would provide valuable reference for other cities as well as stakeholders across all segments of the smart light pole industry.”
These were the opening remarks made by Yuan Feng, Executive Deputy Director of the Software Application Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou, at the 2019 China Smart Light Pole South China Regional Roundtable. He first acknowledged the Aladdin Smart Light Pole Industry Research initiative, expressing the hope that by summarizing the practices of key cities, the development patterns of the industry could be better explored.
Taking Shenzhen and Guangzhou as sample cities in South China, participants exchanged views with an open and collaborative mindset, discussing policies, planning, and demand in both cities. They analyzed data on projects under construction and in the pipeline, and held in-depth discussions on operation models, government organizational structures, data sharing, and information security challenges and solutions.
Shenzhen Case Analysis
In the discussion of key city samples, Chen Jinhua, Head of the Smart Transportation Supply Chain at the Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning and Design Research Center, shared Shenzhen’s progress in smart light pole construction.
“After Shenzhen released the Action Plan for the Development of Multi-functional Smart Poles (2018–2020) in June 2018, it also completed the formulation of Technical and Engineering Construction Standards for Multi-functional Smart Poles in Shenzhen. The Shenzhen model is relatively simple: it clearly defines the roles of project owner, general contractor, construction unit, and investor. Issues such as project construction, quality control, and payments are managed in the same way as traditional engineering projects. The only unresolved matter is identifying the long-term operation and maintenance unit, which is still under discussion.”
Key projects discussed included:
-
Qiaoxiang Road Pavement Renovation & Traffic Improvement — Smart Road Project
-
Total investment: ~RMB 500 million
-
Smart light pole component: ~RMB 81 million
-
787 newly built integrated smart poles
-
Completion target: June 30 this year, with 60–70% progress already achieved.
-
Futian District Spatial Environment & Quality Improvement Project
-
Total investment: RMB 3.8 billion
-
Smart components: RMB 380 million
-
Multi-functional poles divided into 4 major categories and 77 subcategories
-
Sample poles already installed in test sections.
-
Guangming New District Marathon Greenway Smart Streetlight Project
-
Total investment: ~RMB 700 million
-
Smart light pole portion: ~RMB 100 million
-
All projects are new builds, with fiber optic networks laid throughout. Except for smart lighting using NB-IoT, other systems rely on fiber transmission to support 5G micro-base station deployment. Each project has its own system, managed by government units, with a multi-level permission structure and pre-emptive data desensitization for confidential information.
Chen Jinhua analyzed Shenzhen’s bold attempts from three perspectives:
-
Policy Development – Shenzhen has fertile ground for innovation. As early as five years ago, proposals on smart light poles were submitted by Shenzhen NPC deputies at the National People’s Congress. The government has developed a deep understanding of smart city and smart light pole concepts, showing high acceptance.
-
Departmental Support – Various party and government departments in Shenzhen have been quick to accept the concept of smart poles. Coordination between units is smooth, with extensive information gathering from feasibility studies to preliminary designs, while considering future product expansion.
-
Government Financing – Shenzhen has strong fiscal support for information infrastructure. Currently, there are seven or eight smart light pole projects underway, with departments engaging in full communication and construction progressing smoothly.
“Smart light poles are not isolated entities; they are part of the broader smart city ecosystem and should be developed in sync with smart city initiatives,” Chen Jinhua concluded.
Guangzhou Case Analysis
Unlike Shenzhen’s focus on new-build projects, Guangzhou’s projects are more tied to road renovation works.
“In Guangzhou, the model is mainly driven by state-owned enterprises, with the operation model being a critical aspect. Factors such as operation cycle, scope, and how to maximize the value of data applications must all be carefully considered. The Guangzhou municipal government needs to formulate an overall city development plan, detailed top-level design, and guiding policies before step-by-step implementation can proceed,” said Cheng Jin, Chief Engineer of the Guangzhou Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute.
“The key questions are: what should be the positioning, functions, and standards of smart light poles? What does the government expect them to achieve? Only when these fundamental issues are clarified can we avoid redundant construction.”
To promote smart light pole deployment and pole-consolidation works, Guangzhou’s Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Committee issued the Technical Guidelines for Smart Light Pole and Road Pole Consolidation on November 19, 2018. Eight pilot areas were selected, including Tianhenan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District Jiaoyu Road, Qifu Road, Pazhou, Guanggang New Town, Huacheng Square, Linjiang Avenue, and the South Artery.
In March, the Tianhenan 2nd Road pilot project was officially launched, reducing the number of poles from 52 to 35 and significantly improving the streetscape.
The Jiaoyu Road project is scheduled for completion by year-end.
The Guanggang New Town and Huacheng Square projects have completed the bidding process.
With 5G becoming a global strategic focus in 2019, smart light poles have emerged as critical infrastructure to ease operators’ challenges of site scarcity and high investment costs. Nationwide, 31 provinces and cities have already clarified their 5G site plans and deployment schedules.
“In the next three years, Guangzhou’s mission is clear: develop 5G and fully leverage the driving effect of the smart pole industry on the 5G sector. This year, Guangzhou will assist the three major telecom operators in completing nearly 5,000 5G base stations. Guangzhou Radio Group, China Tower, and China Southern Power Grid Guangzhou Power Supply Bureau are the three selected participants,” said Qiu Yurong, Chief Engineer of the Guangzhou Lighting Construction Management Center.
Participants also discussed in detail the construction progress of Guangzhou projects and the challenges encountered.
Conclusion
As two leading cities in smart light pole construction, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have adopted different positioning, planning, and development models. Analyzing their approaches as sample cases helps provide focus for the broader industry.
For a more comprehensive understanding of Shenzhen and Guangzhou’s construction models, please refer to the 2018–2019 China Smart Light Pole Industry Research White Paper, which will be officially released during the Aladdin Forum on June 9–11 this year.
About the White Paper
The 2018–2019 China Smart Light Pole Industry Research White Paper is initiated by the Guangdong Nanfang Net Energy–Guangya Lighting Research Institute, in collaboration with senior industry experts and enterprise representatives. It is based on extensive field surveys and visits with key stakeholders, including end users, municipal owners, operators, manufacturers, experts, and major domestic and international communication technology enterprises.
By analyzing sample cities, the white paper explores their development models during smart light pole construction, with the goal of fostering cross-industry collaboration and resource integration in smart city development, while jointly addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the smart light pole industry.
