According to Gartner, 25 billion devices will be connected to the IoT by the year 2020. The advent of connected technology, on both a large and small scale, is creating an increasing demand for stronger and more reliable internet connectivity. The healthcare industry is just one fundamental sector already utilizing IoT-connected devices, such as electronic health care records and patient wearables. Other industries, such as fitness, automobiles and utility meters also utilize the IoT and smart sensors for operational optimization. With these new innovations comes a need for a connection that is cost-efficient, spans more than a few hundred feet and doesn’t rely on a router like Wi-Fi.
The solution? Devices embedded with robust LTE chipsets. These LTE-enabled devices will ensure that a reliable connection is available at all times, empowering users to take their devices beyond simple home connections.
4G LTE provides the ideal solution
The extreme sports industry is a prime example of why connected devices need to utilize LTE chipsets, as the people using these devices are not likely to be found confined to their homes. Whether they are skateboarding through downtown Los Angeles, hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro or parachuting out of an airplane; their connected devices need to be able to connect from anywhere at any time. 4G LTE provides the ideal solution for these – and many more – applications. It is already the new standard network among most service providers, with LTE networks stretching across the country.
Certainly the number of individuals using 4G LTE — according to ABI research, there will be nearly 1.37 billion 4G LTE subscribers worldwide by the end of 2015 — indicates that 4G LTE is continuing to spread. With this abundant access, smart devices for a range of industries can connect to their respective apps anytime and from anywhere, ensuring that the users have access to relevant data at all times.
Beyond a good connection, 4G LTE frees devices from the constraints of Wi-Fi routers and costly legacy networks. This is important as the concept of owning a connected house is quickly becoming a reality. As such, manufacturers must ensure that smart home devices are always connected. For example, if a Wi-Fi router gets knocked out during a power outage, then all of its connected devices will fail. Hence, all the smart home functions paid for by the user are rendered useless. However, with robust LTE chipsets, devices can retain long-lasting and reliable connections via the LTE network.
Continuous connectivity is especially critical when it comes to security-oriented devices such as alarms or CCTV cameras. Many of these devices allow users to monitor their homes from out of town, state or country — but only when the connection to the Internet is intact. Therefore, if a connected security system were to lose its connection, the device may then ‘forget’ to contact the authorities in case of an emergency or security breach.
The demands of the IoT are clear – a robust, cost-efficient and continuous connectivity, which can ensure that devices remain connected at all times and anywhere. Therefore, LTE must become the new standard to reliably support all these devices.