Archived Newsroom • Press Release |
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Internet of Things could be the low-cost ‘connectivity
key’
that transforms lives in developing countries
New report from ITU and Cisco Systems throws spotlight on exciting
development potential of hyper-connected world
Honolulu, 19 January 2016 – A
new report from ITU and networking giant, Cisco, identifies
the Internet of Things (IoT) as a major global development opportunity that has
the potential to improve the lives of millions and dramatically accelerate
progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Launched today at the
Pacific Telecommunications Council annual meeting in Hawaii,
“Harnessing the Internet of Things for Global Development”
outlines how IoT could have a major impact in areas such as grassroots delivery
of health care and education, positively transforming communities within a time
frame that would have been unimaginable even a few years ago.
The joint report argues that strong demand for IoT technologies has created a
huge array of IoT devices that are readily available, affordable and scalable
for developing countries, providing an ideal platform to energize growth in
emerging economies and improve people’s quality of life significantly – all with
minimal investment.
The IoT concept refers broadly to the growing number of devices – from
computers and smartphones to simple sensors and RFID chips – that are connected
to the Internet and able to communicate with other devices, often without the
need for human intervention. IoT is already extensively deployed in stock and
inventory systems, fleet management, environmental monitoring and many
industrial processes.
The ITU/Cisco report points to evidence of IoT already having an important
impact on health, education and livelihood programmes (such as agricultural
productivity) in developing countries. It cites three prime drivers that, if
supported, could create an ‘IoT revolution’ in the developing world:
Availability:
- IoT devices are already common, cheap and easy replaceable
in developing markets. Basic infrastructure to support IoT
(Wi-Fi, Internet cafés, etc.) is already in place in many
developing communities, with near-ubiquitous basic mobile
connectivity (95%
global 2G coverage, according to ITU’s latest
statistics) and growing levels of 3G coverage (89% of the
world’s urban dwellers – but only 29% of rural inhabitants).
- IoT devices are increasingly being used in rugged, remote
and inhospitable environments. ‘Extreme conditions’ operating
parameters are now being built into IoT specs as more and more
devices are required to operate outside in varying conditions
and climates – making them well-adapted for challenging
environments.
Affordability:
- IoT R&D costs continue to be absorbed by strong demand in
developed world markets, and there is little cost associated
with ‘tweaking’ IoT devices for the developing world. The report
also notes that in many cases, more complex developed world
infrastructure is not required or necessary for developing
markets; ‘core IoT’ is readily available and provides a digital
backbone to build upon.
Scalability:
- IoT devices are designed to be scalable. Many devices
already offer very simple ‘plug & play’ functionality and do not
require skilled technicians for installation or maintenance.
Reduced and alternate power supplies (such as solar) can
maintain sensors and networks where there is no consistent
electricity supply, making them ideal for countries struggling
with irregular or unavailable grid power. Finally, IoT devices
also tend to be highly flexible, offering short- or long-term
solutions and expansion at the household’s, the community’s or
the country’s ‘own’ speed.
“The Internet of Things is one of the most exciting areas of our
fast-evolving ICT industry, offering huge potential for disruption and
transformation. In the context of global development challenges, this means we
have the potential to surmount long-standing hurdles in basic services like
health care, both quickly and affordably. IoT could prove the long-awaited
new approach that will help turn-around developing economies and greatly improve
millions of people’s day-to-day lives,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao.
“The Internet of Things is one of the defining and transformative
technologies of our time,” said Dr Robert Pepper, VP Global Technology Policy at
Cisco. “The ability to impact millions, if not billions, of lives in the
developing world for the better and prevent another digital divide is within our
grasp and is an opportunity we can’t afford to miss. Let’s act now to prevent a
two-tier world of the connected and the unconnected.”
Interconnectedness will be the key to increased usage, the report stresses.
Thanks to the efforts of international standards-makers like ITU, global
interoperability between devices is now increasing, making operating and
synchronizing a variety of formerly incompatible devices both possible and
practical. To accelerate global collaboration on IoT development, last year
ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector set up a new ITU-T Study
Group, Study Group 20: IoT and its applications, including smart
cities and communities, to address the standardization requirements of IoT, with
an initial focus on IoT applications in smart cities.*
Machine-to-machine (M2M) information flows across networks will soon greatly
outstrip human-generated digital information. ITU’s flagship regulatory report
Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2015 identified M2M
communications over mobile cellular networks as the fastest-growing ICT service
in terms of traffic. ITU estimates that over one billion wireless IoT devices
were shipped in 2015, up 60 per cent from 2014 to reach a predicted installed
base of 2.8 billion. As many as 25 billion networked devices are predicted to be
connected by 2020, with market revenues for IoT expected to grow to USD 1.7
trillion by 2019, making IoT the largest device market worldwide.
Among a shortlist of recommendations that includes government support for
tech start-ups, ICT incubators and local data centres, the report urges
developing world governments and businesses to seize the IoT opportunity and
develop the policies and regulatory frameworks that will create an enabling
environment for IoT deployment. IoT will be a featured topic at ITU’s
forthcoming
Global Symposium for Regulators, the world’s largest global
gathering of the ICT regulatory community, which will be held at Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 11-14 May, 2016.
Video
ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao and Cisco’s VP
Global Technology Policy, Dr Robert Pepper, discuss what IoT means for the
future of technology and the work of ITU.
Extended interview
on the new ITU/Cisco IoT report with
ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao &
Dr Robert
Pepper, VP, Global Technology Policy at Cisco.
Short soundbites on the report:
Houlin
Zhao on Why IoT represents an
important opportunity for the developing world
Robert
Pepper on Applications in the
developing world – how can smart sensors save lives?
Robert
Pepper on How quickly IoT could be
available for people in the developing world
Houlin Zhao on Why global
standardization is important for IoT development, and how ITU is involved
* Note to editors:The decision to create a new ITU-T Study Group was made by the
Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) at its
meeting at ITU Headquarters in Geneva, 2-5 June 2015. The group is responsible
for developing agreed international standards to enable the coordinated
development of IoT technologies, including the standardization of end-to-end
architectures for IoT and mechanisms for the interoperability of IoT
applications and datasets employed by various vertically oriented industry
sectors.
ITU-T Study Groups develop international standards (ITU-T
Recommendations) that underpin the interconnection and
interoperability of ICT networks and devices.
Follow the discussion on Twitter at #ITUdata #ICT4D
#IOT4D #broadband
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Parkes
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information,
ITU
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Gary Hamilton-Walker
Head of Corporate Affairs and PR, Asia-Pacific, Japan and China
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