The telecommunications industry heavily relies on the ever-changing Internet of Things technologies. According to Berg Insight, a dedicated IoT analyst firm, there will be 4.15 billion IoT devices connected to cellular networks around the globe by 2024, implying massive opportunities for telecom operators.
Let’s explore how IoT solutions and services are gaining traction in the telecommunications industry and the advantages they bring.
What IoT Means for Telecoms
The telecom industry has taken advantage of the increasing number of IoT devices (38.6 billion are expected worldwide by 2025). Their greatest advantage is the existing infrastructure of internet cables and cell phone towers, which acts as the foundation for developing new 5G and IoT solutions and services.
As a result, telco operators maximize the opportunities for creating massive ecosystems of interconnected gadgets and individuals and enabling seamless communication between them. In addition, many telecom companies are developing IoT-based products and services to meet the needs of their customers.
Home automation powered by IoT is an especially promising niche for telecom operators. By providing exceptional mobile and network connectivity services, telecoms can facilitate the functionality of smart home mobile apps and a wide range of real-time monitoring systems.
In addition to smart homes, telecommunications professionals identify a variety of industries where they see the most significant opportunities to deploy IoT services and solutions (according to Statista’s annual survey). They are as follows:
- Smart Cities:
- Traffic management
- Digital signage
- Environment monitoring
- Waste management
- Utilities:
- Energy and water metering
- Manufacturing:
- Automation
- Predictive maintenance
- Security:
- Access control
- Video surveillance
- Agriculture:
- Irrigation control
- Chemical application
- Livestock health
- Logistics:
- Vehicle tracking
- Transport conditions monitoring
To capitalize on these possibilities, telecom companies require highly skilled IoT development experts to integrate technology into current systems and business processes. In addition, large telecom companies might require the creation of their own IoT platforms to enable the development of custom products and services to meet the requirements of any client. Also, network providers can expand their service portfolio with an IoT platform for telecoms built on a modular architecture and accessible via APIs.
The Most Important IoT Use Cases in Telecom
Traditional communications service providers (CSPs) primarily use data transmission over digital channels. But why not maximize the data’s potential? Telecom providers can offer completely novel solutions and services that benefit their clients using IoT technology, which also involves large amounts of data, substantially enhancing their market position.
As we move forward, let’s examine the most common IoT use cases and the IoT solutions and services telecom companies can build.
1. Internet of Things Connectivity Services
The primary use case of the Internet of Things for telecommunications operators is to provide connectivity services to clients using IoT devices. In this scenario, customers are responsible for collecting, storing, and managing their data, while telecom providers ensure that clients’ infrastructure remains connected to the network.
2. Data Storage and Administration
Another option is for the telecom company to store and process data collected from clients’ IoT devices. In this case, the client runs a business application to access the required information on a centralized platform. At the same time, the service provider handles the backend processes such as data storage, cleansing, classifying, filtering, and so on.
3. Data Analytics
Various types of analytics services are becoming increasingly popular because they enable businesses to extract valuable insights from raw metrics and make critical decisions. Telecom companies must seize this opportunity. They can store IoT-generated data, analyse it, and provide meaningful reports. Specialized telecom platforms enhanced with AI and ML-based algorithms can deliver predictive analytics services.
4. Asset Monitoring
Another popular IoT telecom use case is remote asset monitoring. The location of physical assets must be tracked in real-time in numerous sectors, including transportation, retail, and healthcare, using a mobile app. Telecom operators can collect signals from embedded sensors and transmit them to industry-specific applications.
5. PaaS and SaaS Services
Platform as a service (PaaS) is another revenue-generating option for telecom companies. They can provide their clients with cloud-based IoT platforms that include various tools, allowing them to build solutions independently. Moreover, customers benefit from this service because they can use infrastructure and tools without worrying about management and support.
Additionally, telecom operators can provide software as a service (SaaS) applications customized to specific industries. A mobile healthcare app to monitor blood sugar levels is one example, as is a mobile transportation app for fleet tracking.
Thus, telecom companies’ use of IoT expands their services beyond standard connectivity to industry-specific end-user applications. This is achieved by leveraging the extensive capabilities of the existing telecom network infrastructure and combining it with user data.
What Can The Internet Of Things Do For Telecoms?
The Internet of Things is, without a doubt, the primary enabler of further telecom industry development and capacity expansion. The technology adds value to the entire industry and provides the following advantages:
- Increased speed and bandwidth: IoT protocols and 5G network integration can guarantee data transmission from thousands of devices to many users while maintaining communication speed and bandwidth at scale.
- Low latency: The technology reduces interruptions, critical for clients whose business services rely on continuous operations and real-time processes.
- Improved power efficiency: Telecom companies can handle millions of connected devices and greatly enhance their power efficiency by employing IoT technologies.
- New Job Opportunities: New technologies and new solutions develop new job opportunities in the telecom sector.
- Increased profits: Telecommunications companies will be able to retain customers, draw in new ones, and in general, increase customer loyalty by offering IoT services and solutions. Moreover, from a business perspective, this will guarantee further income growth and increase revenues over time.
Growth Possibilities
Telecom companies should build an IoT cloud platform to utilize the IoT’s capabilities. But, what is the best place to start? There are actually two options:
- Create an exclusive/unique platform from the ground up.
- Create a platform based on an open IoT cloud platform.
Building your platform from the ground up requires a substantial financial investment and a team of highly experienced specialists, including cloud service development engineers. This option is viable when you require unique functionality that public platforms cannot provide.
Many businesses prefer to build a telecom IoT platform based on ready-made public cloud platforms because it is less expensive and takes less time. You can use their infrastructure, tools, services, and pre-built functions without worrying about technical upkeep, scalability, or data security. The only disadvantage is that the functionality could be more adaptable than custom development. Microsoft Azure IoT Hub, Google Cloud IoT, Amazon AWS IoT Core, and others are currently among the best IoT platforms.
The Internet of Thing’s Future in Telecommunications
The prospects for implementing and developing IoT technologies are bright in the telecom industry. Of course, it takes time for telecom operators, developers, and end users to gain experience and expertise in this market. Investing, on the other hand, will pay off in the long run.
Telecom companies are expected to promote their IoT services in a variety of industries, including medicine, retail, agriculture, and so on, in the near future. The technology will provide a significant competitive advantage by optimizing performance, improving service quality, and creating new opportunities.
