Chinese equipment vendor ZTE is working on more than 100 smart city projects in 40 countries and has learned some painful, but valuable, lessons along the way that have enabled it to engage with cities more effectively.

Topping the list is the ineffective use of big data and insufficient budgeting for long-term operations and maintenance, said Jane Chen (pictured), EVP and chairperson for ZTEsoft, at the Smart City conference in Yinchuan, China, on Saturday.

“We found that big data is often not used well and opex is not fully considered,” she said. In addition, she noted that on many occasions external capital was not attracted due to uncertain returns. “Without sufficient budget no smart city project can be successful in the long term.”

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