IoT device managers are sticking with 4G with only 9% planning a move to 5G

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IoT determination makers are inactive not sold connected the committedness of 5G, according to a caller study from IDC. Companies besides are acrophobic astir managing the costs of cellular IoT and having capable developer tools and APIs to enactment these projects. 

The survey besides recovered that 75% of IoT devices utilizing cellular connections are stationary. Stacy Crook, probe director, Internet of Things astatine IDC, analyzed the survey results and wrote the report, "Streamlining Connectivity Management for Cellular IoT Success." 

Cellular IoT uses the aforesaid mobile networks arsenic smartphones to link sensors and different devices to the internet. Ericsson predicts that the fig of cellular IoT connections volition grow from 1.6 cardinal successful 2020 to 5.4 cardinal successful 2026, a compound yearly maturation complaint of 23%.

SEE: Millions of IoT devices moving connected 3G request to marque the determination to 5G earlier the older networks disappear

Crook recovered that 79% of respondents program to usage 4G for cellular IoT deployments with lone 9% making the leap to 5G. Respondents listed these concerns astir 5G service:

• Limited entree to Tier 1 networks
• Network prime degradation erstwhile devices are successful question
• Poor troubleshooting capabilities 
• No failover options during web outages
• The quality to prime which vigor exertion devices link to

The survey recovered that proof-of-concept projects besides instrumentality doubly arsenic agelong arsenic companies expect: 12 months vs. six. Survey respondents named these 3 challenges that dilatory down cellular IoT projects:

1. Lack of visibility into home and planetary instrumentality deployments and usage
2. Ordering and shipping SIMs and modules successful a timely mode
3. Inability to effort SIMs during the valuation process

Cost is different symptom constituent for cellular IoT projects with 65% of companies stating that they wage for overages and unused data. Managing aggregate cellular carriers and the associated billing complexities are besides a important problem.  

Crook recommends that companies managing IoT cellular deployments plan for scale, guarantee planetary visibility and power and see fleet management, integration, clip to marketplace and deployment investigating efforts successful summation to information costs erstwhile calculating the full outgo of ownership.

The survey identified these apical 3 usage cases crossed each verticals:

• Buildings: astute lighting, HVAC and connected elevators
• Security: alarm systems, carnal entree and distant monitoring
• Environment: clime monitoring, somesthesia power and ungraded monitoring

Companies are managing ample fleets of IoT devices. The mean deployment size is 1,700. In ample companies, that fig is 6,300 devices. 

IDC conducted the survey successful January among 1,000 IoT determination makers astir existent cellular IoT deployments arsenic good arsenic aboriginal plans. Survey respondents were successful the U.S., the U.K. and Germany astatine companies ranging successful size from 5,000 and much employees (20%) to little than 500 (29%). Healthcare, manufacturing, government, retail, utilities and proscription companies are represented successful the survey.

Twilio sponsored this probe which was produced by IDC Custom Solutions.

Also see

• 5G mobile networks: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
• 5G: What it means for IoT (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
• TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and probe for download (TechRepublic Premium)
• What is 5G? Everything you request to cognize astir the caller wireless gyration (ZDNet)
• 5G: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic connected Flipboard)