Time for fleet to make connectivity demands

Good old vehicular internet connectivity

It’s nice to see the international IoT fleet management market bubbling up nicely as existing players and new entrants rush towards the opportunities being created. Antony Savvas says the fleet industry is doing its bit to create an important IoT market, and it’s now time that the mobile operators got their skates on too.

IoT fleet management is expected to generate US$16.86bn (€13.69 billion) in sales by 2025, seeing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.8% between 2018 and 2025, according to research just published by Grand View Research.

While there is much talk about robots and artificial intelligence in the world of IoT, it is good old vehicular internet connectivity that is currently driving much of the current growth, although this of course is expected to change greatly as new services come on stream supported by much faster 5G wireless networks.

Driving apps already here

Robots & artificial intelligence

Wider use of vehicle tracking and monitoring, fleet analytics, fuel management, predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics and driver performance tracking and monitoring are already here. But without ubiquitous high-speed networks at the moment it is fair to say that there is far more growth in these areas to come.

All the above solutions enable fleet operators to not only increase their operational efficiency but also assist them in reducing expenses, and IoT platforms are already available to help organisations to do this for many years to come.

But, as Grand View Research stresses, for IoT technology to work successfully “seamless connectivity” is one of the most important pre-requisites. It adds: “Presence of strong wireless connectivity infrastructure in regions such as North America and Europe has facilitated the widespread adoption of IoT fleet management.”

IoT Connectivity Buyer’s Guide: Fleet management edition

Fleet management cover
Fleet management solution

What’s in this guide?

  • The three foundational pieces needed to scale your solution successfully
  • How to find a provider that meets your fleet tracking requirements
  • The most common requirements and vetting questions for basic fleet tracking
READ NOW

Faster connectivity

However, the major mobile operators in these regions are only now starting to move into the new wireless spectrum that is needed to support 5G and even more powerful services. Spectrum auctions are still being conducted in major markets and further testing on 5G is expected to take place over the next 12 months.

Fleet management

While some new wireless services may well be called 5G, many users will suspect that much of the underpinning technology around those services is really 4G. After all, there is still plenty of 3G being used to support what is shown as 4G on devices.

While Grand View rightly says the likes of AT&T, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, Verizon and IBM will play major roles in fostering growth prospects in the market, we can expect many smaller players to do their bit in pushing things forward.

Transport hotspots

In fact, now that many IoT systems for fleet management are already in place, with plans afoot to further upgrade them, it is the whole industry’s responsibility to join together and demand that the mobile operators support businesses that are ready for 5G now.

Autonomous vehicle

Building a 5G network, unlike a 3G or 4G one, is more of a piecemeal process, with more antennas needed to provide a service. As a result, 5G hotspots are expected to prevail for some time to come.

Therefore, the fleet industry should demand that transport hubs and roads should be included in any 5G hotspot list.

The author of this blog is Antony Savvas, a freelance technology writer

Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow OR @jcIoTnow

RECENT ARTICLES

Surrey leads new £8 million FORT centre for advancing secure networks

Posted on: March 18, 2024

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) announced that Surrey’s 5G/6G Innovation Centre will lead a new £8 million Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Open Secure Networks (FORT). 

Read more

Protecting assets with LTE, NTN & 5G LPWA

Posted on: March 15, 2024

In this compelling piece, part of the Key Industry Insights Series, Analyst Robin Duke-Woolley of Beecham Research and Kevin Guan of Fibocom, explain how LTE Cat 4/1/1bis/M, NTN and 5G LPWA are working to change the game for protecting goods and supply chains with total, global coverage asset tracking for reduced losses and improved operations

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more