One technology that was put into place, in order to fight the Covid-19 crisis, was the tracing of contacts. Cellphone data can be collected, anonymized and analysed to find possible contacts of infected citizens. Once identified, these people will be notified and have to either test against the virus and/or go into quarantine.
This method is able to limit the speed and extent of spreading corona. It is possible thanks to a reliable mobile network and the opportunity for cities and governments to quickly implement new solutions by working closely together with communication technology companies.
Regardless of the benefit of this smart city solution for the Covid-19 crisis, it also comes with its downsides. The most significant one is most likely data privacy and the reduced level of trust. In order to achieve the most efficient smart cities, its citizens need to feel safe with the technology around them. There is still room for improvements and new developments, but concepts such as blockchain can be a possible solution.