Industry Group Forecasts Technology Trends for 2021

The use of small cell and 5G technologies is expected to increase this year as one of a handful of the most prominent technology trends helping public works professionals, says a new industry survey.

According to the Kansas City-based American Public Works Association, the rapidly expanding use of 5G technologies not only provide improved access to emergency responders, they also allow professionals in public works and other fields to “make smarter decisions in real time.”

After surveying nearly 6,000 professionals in the public works field, the APWA additionally identified both asset management technologies and geographic information systems as needed tools used to “assist public works professionals in developing and preparing short and long-term infrastructure and financial plans.”

The survey also identified virtual public engagement technologies, now more than ever in a Covid-19 world used for conducting meetings, as a vital new trend and one that is cost effective “compared to traditional methods.”

As a best practice, the survey additionally sees the integration of all of these technologies as an equally important trend, one that “identifies data and how to best leverage it to achieve desired service levels and enable greater accountability, reporting, and efficiency.”

In a statement, Scott Grayson, chief executive officer of the APWA, noted the importance of identifying “trending technologies that best help public works professionals deliver countless critical services we all rely upon daily.”
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In its 2020 survey, the APWA identified 3-D technologies, automated vehicles, cybersecurity infrastructure, technology for field crews, and the move toward reducing waste generation as the country’s most important new trends.

By Garry Boulard

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