Makedonski Telekom receives global award for smart city solution in Skopje

This year’s World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Brazil was a memorable event for Makedonski Telekom: The Deutsche Telekom subsidiary received the WITSA Global ICT Excellence Award for its smart public transportation solution implemented in Macedonia’s capital city!

 Innovative smart bus traffic management solution
Faced with citizens’ increasing demands and shrinking budgets, the city of Skopje had to find new and efficient ways to optimize its processes, cut costs, and provide better services. With its smart city project, Makedonski Telekom (MKT) has therefore implemented an integrated, automatic vehicle location and fare collection system in the city’s public transportation network. A unique central database allows real-time monitoring of the traffic network and passengers’ movements, as well as the control and regulation of the transport service. 

The system is hosted on MKT’s cloud platform, the largest and safest data center in Macedonia. It encourages the broader use of public transportation and makes it possible to manage transport demand as well as reduce traffic jams and air pollution. Additionally, enabling fast, transparent, and simple fare collection has significantly improved the customer experience for both residents and tourists.

WITSA Award recognition for Sustainable Growth Solutions
The WCIT is a yearly event organized by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). WITSA is a leading consortium of ICT industry association members from over 80 countries – its award is therefore seen as very prestigious. It was presented at the WCIT ceremony, where Makedonski Telekom received the award for its smart city project in the “Sustainable Growth Solution” category. This category is aimed at solutions that promote sustainable economic growth, which is defined as the ability to improve a country’s financial and social situation. In previous years, WITSA awards were presented to large e-government projects for the advancement of digital inclusion and the provision of public services to citizens. One of these was the political campaign of US president Barack Obama, recognized for its use of Web 2.0 technologies.

 The future of smart city development in Macedonia
This is the first project to start the transformation of Skopje into a smart city, following the example of other global metropolitan cities. The project improves the quality of public transportation, providing faster and more efficient transport for the capital’s residents and tourists, as well as increasing the attractiveness of public transportation in the long run. “Smart city”, however, is not just a project for improving the quality of public transportation – it is also the beginning of an IoT era in Macedonia.

Skopje – a new smart city in Deutsche Telekom’s footprint
Following Budapest, Prague, Dubrovnik, Krk Island, and Bucharest, Skopje is our next smart city in the Deutsche Telekom footprint. The need for smart city solutions is growing steadily, and we are happy to take a leading role in transforming cities in different parts of Europe. If you would like to learn more about our solution, please visit us at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona, from November 15th to 17th.