Is global cellular IoT connectivity ready for the made-for-IoT era?
At this year’s MWC Barcelona, mobile operators pushed a fresh round of messaging around AI-heavy workloads, low-latency applications and the role of 5G in supporting them. The conversation framed a shift toward a so‑called “made‑for‑IoT” era, where connectivity is supposed to match the specific needs of connected devices rather than simply extend consumer mobile networks.
Behind the buzz, the core question remains whether global cellular infrastructure, roaming models and commercial terms are actually set up to support large-scale IoT deployments. Operators see new profit opportunities in industrial, automotive and other connected use cases, but turning those into reliable, predictable services worldwide will depend on how quickly they can adapt networks, tariffs and service agreements to the realities of IoT rather than traditional mobile traffic.
More from Connectivity
Putting smart locks and thermostats in a building does not make it a smart community, says Maz Khan, president and co-founder of Vitalis Smart Communi...
LOT Polish Airlines has started adding in-flight internet to its long-haul aircraft using satellite services from Viasat. The Polish flag carrier is r...
A new global survey of 600 industrial IoT decision-makers suggests that direct-to-device satellite connectivity is shifting from an early concept to s...
Satellite operator Eutelsat is teaming up with global non-profit unconnected.org to roll out satellite-powered community Wi-Fi in underserved parts of...
Telecom Fiji will roll out Starlink-powered managed Wi-Fi in the rural provinces of Namosi and Lomaiviti under a new universal service obligation (USO...
BT will supply 23,000 mobile connections over its EE network to support easyJet staff and operations in 35 countries and more than 150 airports. The d...