What 5G will bring to the IoT device, network and application
As global organisations increasingly adopt IoT solutions, Peter Van Den Houten at Kore discusses the major innovations set to transform connectivity and networking infrastructure
It is perhaps an obvious statement to make, but the truth of the matter is that a lot of the fixed and wireless network infrastructure that serves IoT deployments today is somewhat legacy but certainly not purpose-built nor best suited to the demands that advanced IoT applications bring.
As we’ve transitioned from traditional machine-to-machine applications to those that can be considered true IoT, the demand on the data has grown exponentially.
We are no longer dealing with devices that simply ‘check in’ once a week and if they don’t, it isn’t the end of the world. Now we’re dealing with devices that depend on reliable, fast connectivity to transmit their data in near real-time.
However, that is merely one part of the story and the other half, which is often forgotten, is the back-end network infrastructure serving the critical systems that rely so heavily on the data coming in from the devices.
The story is similar, as corporate networks have been designed with humans in mind and connectivity has been optimised to ensure that end users can access the applications and systems required on their laptop or smartphone.
Simply put, IoT applications function in a fundamentally different way. The level of data consumption is relatively low compared to regular IT applications, but the way in which the data needs to be served up brings with it new demands for connectivity that provides extremely low latency, quality-of-service and built-in security.
Another important consideration is network security, which is often an afterthought with IoT but is perhaps one of – if not the – most important factor to consider. Security for ‘traditional’ network infrastructure and its end users is a known beast nowadays but in many ways, it is still tossed to one side when it comes to IoT applications.
The reality is that, in some way, every IoT device you deploy is an extension of your network and if just one of those devices becomes compromised the outcome could be disastrous.
One of the most important considerations at this point in time is the introduction of new, licensed low-power technologies, such as NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1, which are purpose-built for IoT applications.
Related to this is the phasing out of ‘legacy’ 2G and 3G technologies. If you’re operating on a local scale, this challenge is relatively easy to address, however when we look at this from a global perspective, the question becomes a great deal more difficult to address.
For example, in the United States and Australia 2G has already been phased out and roll-outs of NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1 are well underway. Compare that with Europe where 2G is likely to be around for a while yet – in fact it is probable that 3G will be phased out before 2G – and whilst many NB-IoT deployments have been carried out, coverage cannot be considered comprehensive.
Simply put, trying to find a ‘one size fits all’ network solution to serve your customers for the next five to ten years is a tall ask and the decisions you make and the network technologies you choose to support are all-important.
