Ericsson: 3.5 Billion Global IoT Connections by 2023

Swedish kit manufacturer Ericsson predicts that there will be 3.5 billion cellular connections linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) by the year 2023, according to a company report.

The latest edition of Ericsson’s Mobility Report highlights the fact that the predicted number of connections has nearly doubled since the last report in November 2017. The sharp rise in Ericsson’s outlook is due to ongoing large-scale developments in China and the growth of new technologies such as NB IoT.

“2018 is the year 5G networks go commercial as well as for large-scale deployments of cellular IoT. These technologies promise new capabilities that will impact people’s lives and transform industries. This change will only come about through the combined efforts of industry players and regulators aligning on spectrum, standards and technology,” said Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of Business Area Networks.

Mobile operators across the globe have launched over 60 cellular IoT networks to date, with that number set to sky rocket in the coming years. Deployment of these networks in China has been spearheaded by increased demand in the Smart City and Smart Agriculture sub-sectors, whereas growth in the US has been fuelled by demand from logistics coordinators and fleet management firms. – Total Telecom