I City - Cyber City of the Future

A cyber-city is in the making near Shah Alam, and it will offer amenties such as city-wide broadband, advanced security, "smart" parking lots, and "apps-on-tap" for businesses. It will also feature sci-fi-like technologies such as laser light shows and images on buildings

Images projected on buildings, sensory activated state-of-the-art lighting along the walkways, and ubiquitous Internet access... This is not Vegas; it is set happen in the Klang Valley in 2008.

This futuristic real estate project which covers over 72 acres is called i-City and is essentially the city for the digital age, a 21st century monument to the WiMAX generation.

Located along the Federal Highway in Shah Alam, the entire development is connected via high-speed broadband, both wired and wireless.

RM40mil will be spent on ICT (information and communications technology) infrastructure that will ultimately make the whole 72 acres a wireless hotspot.

Other wireless devices will be installed in public spaces to make life easier for citizens, including devices for security and traffic monitoring, and for parking payments.

But enough WiMAX-speak, i-City is a 72-acre ICT-based urban township that
features a 1,000ft pedestrian street mall (called "CityWalk"), houses, shop
offices, corporate offices, a retail mall, serviced residences, a hotel, an
innovation centre and an intelligent school.

Digital community

The entire project will take eight to 10 years but the first phase will be completed by the end of next year, according to I-Berhad chief executive officer Eu Hong Chew.

Even at this juncture, visitors and tenants will already experience ‘intelligent life' in action.
Eu claims that in 2007, CityWalk will come to life with its multimedia lights bouncing off the street pavement, buildings. "There will also be laser shows in the sky," Eu said.

"We are creating a comprehensive digital community with a RM40mil ICT infrastructure to allow for technologies and applications," he said.

i-City is in the process of obtaining Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status, and has been earmarked as a premier ICT hub for Selangor. i-City is combining the best practices of successful smart projects/cities around the world, Eu said.

i-City has already roped in Intel for its mega city, said Debjani Ghosh, country manager, Intel Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd.

"We are committed in working with i-Berhad to build a robust architecture in helping i-City to be realised. The collaboration will focus on the strategy of platform technologies that help enable day-to-day activities of people working and living in i-City," she said.

More News : STAR
BY STEVEN PATRICK



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