Leading global telecoms data group, GSMA has announced that mobile network operators who are able to stir the tide of current global illiquidity and upgrade their networks will be among gainers of an estimated US$1.8 trillion Internet of Things (IoT) revenue opportunity by 2026.
The drive will also be boosted by the early deployment of commercial Low Power Wide Area Networks in licensed spectrum.
Figures from IoT Forecast Database Research1 published by analyst at Machina Research, said the new findings highlight the huge growth opportunities for mobile operators delivered through new Mobile IoT applications and services.
Already, about 12 mobile operators have launched 15 commercial Mobile IoT services, including AT&T, Telstra and Verizon (LTE-M), as well as China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KT, LG Uplus, M1, Turkcell and Vodafone (NB-IoT).2 The research also indicates that the Americas region will account for an estimated US$534billion, or approximately a third of the total revenue.
Explaining more, Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of GSMA noted that “There is a real sense of momentum behind Mobile IoT networks in licensed spectrum, with multiple commercial launches around the world, as well as the availability of hundreds of different applications and solutions, but there is still much to be done”.
“Many operators are already reaping the benefits of deploying Mobile IoT and we encourage others to act now to capitalise on this clear market opportunity and further accelerate the development of the Internet of Things.
GSMA report observed that consumer demand for connected home (US$441 billion), consumer electronics (US$376 billion) and connected car technologies (US$273 billion) represent the biggest revenue opportunities for IoT. However, other areas such as connected energy look set to reach US$128 billion by 2026 as a result of local governments and consumers seeking smarter ways to manage utilities. Similarly, revenues from connected cities are forecast to reach US$78 billion by 2026.
Mobile operators are enhancing their licensed cellular networks with NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies which utilise globally agreed 3GPP standards to scale the IoT. Mobile IoT networks are expected to have 862 million active connections by 2022 or 56 per cent of all LPWA connections3.
