How Peering Powers Smart Cities and Next-Generation Telecom Services

By Anna Yurchenko, Regional Sales Director, Aipix

The telecommunications industry is undergoing a rapid transformation. As operators and ISPs look for new ways to expand beyond traditional connectivity, the role of peering networks is shifting. At CAPIF 4, Aipix presented insights based on real cases, showing how peering networks smart city solutions empower telecom operators and ISPs. Once seen mainly as a method of optimizing internet traffic and reducing transit costs, peering is now becoming the foundation for next-generation value-added services (VAS) from telecom and ISP I inteligentne miasto ecosystems.

This article explores how peering can serve as the digital backbone for urban innovation, enabling video surveillance, analiza wideo, IoT, and cloud services that are critical for the development of safe, efficient, and connected cities.

Peering Networks. More Than Traffic Optimization

Traditionally, we think of peering as a tool for:

• reducing latency,
• cutting transit costs,
• and improving connectivity quality.

This is correct. But peering is far more powerful. The peering ecosystem of telecom operators is a ready-made infrastructure that can evolve into the backbone for new digital services.

Most operators currently focus on developing VAS services which include video surveillance and IoT solutions and smart home capabilities and cloud platform offerings. The introduction of new services leads to multiple operational difficulties for operators:

• Technical. New services may require new fiber links or optical channels, which is costly and time-consuming.
• Financial. Investment in edge infrastructure and equipment is required to maintain quality and scalability.
• Strategic. Operators must identify which services the market needs, how to launch quickly, and how to ensure ROI without excessive upfront costs.

Peering Networks Smart City Solutions That Drive Telco VAS and the Urban Security

This is where peering networks can change the game. By leveraging existing peering infrastructures, operators can accelerate the deployment of scalable VAS and smart city projects.

• Performance & reliability. Peering ensures direct, predictable routing. It is perfect for latency-critical services such as video surveillance, cloud gaming, and urban monitoring platforms.
• Local traffic exchange. Traffic stays within the region/city instead of passing through international transit providers. This reduces ping, ensures resilience, and improves user experience.
• Edge computing integration. IoT devices, cameras, and sensors generate massive data flows. With peering, data can be processed locally at edge nodes, reducing backbone load and deployment costs.
• Cross-sector integration. Peering can unite operators, municipalities, transport companies, and utilities into a single data ecosystem. For example, a shared platform for video analytics available to police, housing authorities, and private operators. They all built on peering infrastructure.
• Scalability. New smart city services (from smart parking to traffic prediction) can be added quickly through IX (Internet Exchange) hubs, connecting multiple providers via a single point.
• Economic benefits. Operators and cities cut transit costs, while jointly creating new revenue streams in cybersecurity, cloud, video analytics, and IoT platforms.

In short, peering becomes the digital “artery” of the smart city, enabling fast, reliable, and cost-effective data exchange.

Smart City Use Cases Powered by Peering & Video Analytics

Let’s look at several peering networks smart city cases. They are prospective environments where peering-enabled video analytics makes a measurable impact:

Lotniska

• Real-time incident detection and rapid response
• Crowd analytics for passenger flow management
• License plate recognition for logistics and parking
• Enhanced overall safety and automation of daily operations

Shopping Malls

• Monitoring visitor flows and preventing congestion
• Route analysis for better retail placement & advertising
• Queue reduction to improve customer experience
• Automated suspicious activity detection

Parks & Recreation Areas

• Visitor flow control
• Early detection of fire and smoke incidents via video analytics
• Integration with emergency services for rapid reaction

Transport Systems

• Continuous monitoring of public transport infrastructure
• Passenger flow analytics (including unique passenger counts)
• Optimization of routes and scheduling
• Integration with local and central situational centers for safety and coordination

Security as a Core Smart City Value

Smart cities must be not only efficient but also safe. With peering-based infrastructures, operators can deliver cloud video surveillance with AI-powered analytics, access control, connectivity, and integrated situational centers.

• Local centers handle incidents at district or facility level.
• Unified centers aggregate data citywide, ensuring cross-department coordination and faster decision-making.

This structured approach makes urban safety systems more resilient, manageable, and future-proof.

The Future. From Traffic Exchange to Value Exchange

Digitalization is not just a buzzword. It’s the direction every city is moving in. The future lies in integration, automation, and scalability:

• Unified monitoring platforms and online situational centers
• Synchronization with municipal services and emergency response
• Cloud-based solutions for cost optimization
• Peering-enabled scalability and flexibility for new services

By using peering networks, operators are not simply exchanging traffic. They are exchanging opportunities. This approach allows telecom providers to:

• launch new VAS services faster,
• support large-scale infrastructure projects,
• make them more accessible and scalable,
• and, most importantly, create new growth drivers in a highly competitive telecom market.

Wniosek

Na Platforma VAS Aipix, we see peering as the backbone of Smart City transformation. It connects devices, services, and stakeholders into a single ecosystem that is efficient, cost-effective, and secure.

We invite telecom operators and ISPs to rethink peering not only as a cost optimization tool, but as a strategic enabler of new digital services, market differentiation, and long-term growth.

Want to learn more? Ask us for personal meet for detailed conversation or download the presentation from Capif 4 2025 to get more insights! We are here to help you in smart future development!