Smart city program to lift IT to 7% of GDP

Shanghai smart city project will propel its information technology industry to account for 7 percent of the city's gross domestic product by 2016, up from 6.4 percent last year, top officials said yesterday.

The city's e-commerce trade transactions will double to 2 trillion yuan (US$326 billion) in 2016 from last year's level. Shanghai's IT Development Plan covering three years from 2014 to 2016 will include key sectors such as integrated circuits, Internet finance and Internet video.

As part of the smart city project, Shanghai's transport, education and medical sectors will feature latest technologies such as cloud computing, big data and Internet of Things.

By the end of this year, Shanghai residents will be able to check the arrival time of 14,000 buses on 900 bus routes in the city, up from 589 routes at present.

"The smart city will change government departments' process and further enhance everyone's daily life," said Li Yaoxin, chairman of the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Technology Development.

Shanghai is already a leader nationwide in integrated circuits, which account for one third of national revenue, and broadband network speed, Li added.

By end of 2013, Shanghai's fiber optic high-speed Internet access network covered more than 8 million families, up 6.7 times from three years ago.