IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

WORLD JOURNAL OF INNOVATION AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY (WJIMT )

E-ISSN 2504-4766
P-ISSN 2682-5910
VOL. 9 NO. 5 2025
DOI: 10.56201/wjimt.v9.no5.2025.pg209.220

---

Challenges of Implementing Smart Technology in Urban and Rural Communities

Bello Fatima Hamid, Ishaq Arabo Faisal

---

Abstract

The rapid integration of smart technologies into modern societies promises to revolutionize urban and rural landscapes through enhanced efficiencies and optimized resource management. Urban centers, often seen as the front-runners in adopting smart technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and big data analytics, benefit from existing infrastructure and financial resources. However, these cities also face challenges, including over- surveillance, privacy concerns, and socio-economic inequalities that may exclude marginalized populations from reaping the full benefits of these innovations. In contrast, rural areas often grapple with fundamental barriers such as limited infrastructure, digital illiteracy, and inadequate internet connectivity, hindering their ability to integrate smart technologies. Despite these challenges, the potential for smart technology to bridge developmental divides between urban and rural communities remains significant. This study critically examines the obstacles to smart technology implementation in both settings, highlighting the digital divide and proposing solutions for more inclusive technology adoption. By investigating the socio-economic, infrastructural, and policy-related factors affecting the deployment of smart technologies, this research offers recommendations to ensure equitable access and sustainability in smart technology initiatives across both urban and rural communities.

keywords:

Smart technology, urban communities, rural communities, digital divide, technology

---

References:

Alabdali, S. A., Pileggi, S. F., & Cetindamar, D. (2023). Influential factors, enablers, and barriers
to adopting smart technology in rural regions: A literature review. Sustainability, 15(10),
https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107908
Batty, M., Axhausen, K. W., Giannotti, F., Pozdnoukhov, A., Bazzani, A., Wachowicz, M., ... &
Portugali, Y. (2021). Smart cities of the future. The European Physical Journal Special
Topics, 214(1), 481–518.
Cardullo, P., Di Feliciantonio, C., & Kitchin, R. (2019). The right to the smart city. Emerald
Publishing Limited.
Cunha, C. R., Gomes, J. P., Fernandes, J., & Morais, E. P. (2020). Building Smart Rural Regions:
Challenges and Opportunities. In Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing (Vol.
1161). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37472-6_60
Dlodlo, N., & Kalezhi, J. (2015). The Internet of Things in agriculture for sustainable rural
development. In 2015 International Conference on Emerging Trends in Networks and
Computer
Communications
(ETNCC)
(pp.
13–18).
IEEE.
https://doi.org/10.1109/ETNCC.2015.7184801
Gaur, A., Scotney, B., Parr, G., & McClean, S. (2015). Smart city architecture and its applications
based
on
IoT.
Procedia
Computer
Science,
52,
1089–1094.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.05.122
Kitchin, R., & Dodge, M. (2019). The (in)security of smart cities: Vulnerabilities, risks, mitigation,
and prevention. Journal of Urban Technology, 26(2), 47–65.
Roman, R., Zhou, J., & Lopez, J. (2013). On the features and challenges of security and privacy
in distributed Internet of Things. Computer Networks, 57(10), 2266–2279.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2012.12.018
Renukappa, S., Suresh, S., Abdalla, W., Shetty, N., Yabbati, N., & Hiremath, R. (2022). Evaluation
of smart village strategies and challenges. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 15(1),
123-136. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSBE-10-2021-0165
Soomro, K., Abdullah, S., & Faheem, M. (2023). Challenges in implementing smart technology
in rural communities: A case study of South Asia. Journal of Rural and Remote
Technologies, 11(1), 25–39.
Tambo, J. A., & Adesina, A. (2022). Bridging the digital divide: A framework for inclusive smart
village development. Technology in Society, 70, 102012.
Townsend, A. M. (2013). Smart cities: Big data, civic hackers, and the quest for a new utopia. W.
W. Norton & Company.
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y. L., & Xu, X. (2016). Unified theory of acceptance and use of
technology: A review and extension. Journal of the Association for Information Systems,
17(5), 328–376.
Weber, R. H. (2010). Internet of Things – New security and privacy challenges. Computer Law &
Security Review, 26(1), 23–30.

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back