Shanghai's information infrastructure development and government support have made it one of the world's leading smart cities, especially in transportation, health care, and sharing economy and industrial Internet applications, government officials said.
Currently, Shanghai has 1,200 free Wi-Fi hot spots under the brand iShanghai, 6.1 million broadband users, 7.2 million interactive TV users and more than 20 million 3G and 4G mobile users with high speed mobile Internet access, which covers 98 percent of local population, according to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology.
"IT has integrated into everyone's daily life and various industries like finance and manufacture in Shanghai, making it one of the most advanced smart cities worldwide," said Shao Zhiqing, vice director of the commission, the city's top IT and industry regulator.
Shao attended a conference yesterday on an annually held event of "Shanghai's Smart City," being held to promote the city's IT development and its relationship with citizens.
Shanghai has launched mobile applications on public transportation and parking, and offered Wi-Fi services on metro and bus lines. The city has established 65 smart medical communities with online personal health care.
Meanwhile, Shanghai invests heavily to support industrial Internet applications, which help traditional firms to transform their businesses.