Convergence is when two or more separate technologies are paired together to create a capability that is greater than the original technologies individually. The additional value of the converged system itself now opens new applications as well potentially new challenges. 

As policy conversations around emerging technology implications grow, the importance of considering convergence is paramount for effective and trustworthy implementation of technologies in municipal spaces. A connected community is not a technology but a convergence concept that touches millions of citizens, their privacy, and the critical infrastructure on which each of them depend. 

As with all examples of convergence, there are implications beyond the sum of their parts and connected communities is no exception. Officials and individual users are familiar with the implications of connected technologies on individual privacy but the concept of municipal, community, or regional privacy is new. The aggregated data of an entire community or region take the concept of privacy to the homeland security level, driving increased need for effective policies and controls to ensure the safety and security of citizens living inside these architectures. 

This article explores specific challenges for the implementation of municipal IoT and introduces the concept of privacy at the municipal, community, and regional levels.