(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Oinegue)
The UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced plans to position the country at the forefront of the Internet of Things (IoT). Working with industry and government, Ofcom aims to build a regulatory environment that encourages investment and innovation to accelerate the deployment of connected devices.
Steve Unger, Acting Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “The Internet of Things will bring benefits across many sectors and could change the way we live. We have listened closely to industry and want to develop a framework that allows this technology to evolve in ways that ultimately benefit citizens and consumers.”
The government’s support for Ofcom’s approach is sensible given the significant economic potential of the IoT. Much of the benefit will come from sensors that enable more efficient use of existing systems, such as smarter parking management and adaptive street lighting.
More than 40 million connected devices are already in use in the UK, and that figure is poised to grow rapidly.
Examples from abroad illustrate what’s possible. The SmartSantander project in Spain demonstrates IoT-enabled “Smart City” services through collaboration with partners such as Telefónica, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent and several universities. The city is equipped with distributed IoT nodes that gather data on temperature, CO2, noise, light, vehicle presence and other environmental factors.
High-mounted repeaters forward data collected by these nodes over low-power radio protocols (such as 802.15.4) to gateways. From the gateways, data can be stored, processed, or made accessible via common networks like WiFi, cellular (GPRS/UMTS) or Ethernet. Researchers and developers use this stream of information for experiments and applications — for example, routing guidance that helps citizens choose faster travel routes.
While that may sound similar to conventional traffic monitoring, SmartSantander highlights an important difference: “Traditional traffic sensors provide static snapshots at fixed checkpoints and cannot measure vehicle counts on streets without sensors.” Distributed IoT sensing offers a much richer, more granular view of urban activity.
Ofcom’s strategy is intended to encourage comparable experimentation and innovation within the UK. While the regulator did not announce new specific measures, it identified four key priorities: ongoing monitoring of spectrum needs, careful consideration of data privacy, strengthening network security and resilience, and managing network addressing — including sustained support for IPv6 adoption.
More than 40 million connected devices are already in use in the UK, and that figure is poised to grow rapidly. Developer interest is strong as well: one-in-five developers are reportedly planning to target IoT for upcoming projects, indicating a healthy pipeline of innovation.
On spectrum policy, Ofcom has taken steps to enable IoT testing and deployment. In recent years it opened access to frequencies in the 870/915 MHz bands to support trials, and it has confirmed that IoT devices can operate in commonly used 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands alongside public WiFi.
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