Sensor-to-satellite: democratising the IoT
Author : Alastair Williamson | CEO | Wyld Networks
01 June 2021
Wyld Networks_Satellite IoT for agriculture
Alastair Williamson, CEO at Cambridge-based experts in secure, intelligent connectivity for IoT & 5G, Wyld Networks, looks at the progress to democratise the Internet of Things (IoT) & how the next generation of sensor-to-satellite solutions provides the key to delivering truly affordable, universal access…
The full version of this article was originally featured in EPDT's H1 2021 IoT & Industry 4.0 supplement, included in the June 2021 issue of EPDT magazine [read the digital issue]. And sign up to receive your own copy each month.
Over the last decade, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as one of the most important technologies of this century. The vision is to connect everyday things, from health monitors to streetlights and kitchen appliances, as well as industrial devices and environmental sensors, to the internet via embedded IoT modules to create communications between people, process and things. The aim is to deliver increased efficiency and streamlined processes, as well as providing rich, insightful and actionable data.
Recent advances in technology are making this vision more deliverable. These include low-cost, low power sensor technology; new wireless protocols suited to low power long- and short-range use cases; mandated security standards and technologies; accessible cloud computing for scaling up; and data analytics and AI to aggregate, curate, analyse and report actionable data.
Each of these technologies is helping to drive the democratisation of the IoT – but this will never be truly achieved while some 3.5 billion people on the planet still do not have access to, or cannot afford, the internet. Mobile cellular networks only cover 20% of the earth’s surface – and low-cost access only covers about 1%.
True democratisation of the IoT will only be possible when we have universal, low-cost access to the wireless networks that power the internet and underpin the IoT. And the benefits are clear. According to research & consulting firm, McKinsey, IoT in (smart) agriculture could add $500bn to GDP by 2030 – a critical productivity improvement of 7-9% for the industry – if connectivity issues can be resolved...
Read the full article in EPDT's June 2021 digital issue...
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