The importance of connectivity in IoT

Connectivity is at the centre of  the Internet of Things (IoT). It’s the driver and essential element of this change in modern technology.

IoT is the name given to the vast network of physical objects that interact in with the internet. These objects feature embedded sensors, software, network connectivity and actuators that allow them to exchange information between each other over the internet. In other words, the defining feature of the IoT is that these things talk to other things, making these physical objects smarter and more responsive than before.

Underpinning this capacity for action in IoT is, of course, connectivity. IoT devices may connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular networks or one of a number of low power wide area network (LPWAN) protocols. The LPWAN tag encompasses everything from localised Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to variants of familiar 3G/4G/5G telecoms connections, as used by smartphones.

Why connectivity matters in IoT

1. Enabling data exchange

Simply put, connectivity enables your device to upload your steps to a GPS server or to send a reading of the indoor room temperature to the gadget in the living room. All IoT systems, no matter how simple or sophisticated, rely on the constant streaming of data. For example, with a smart agricultural system, sensors in the field transmit data on soil moisture and ambient weather conditions, triggering automatically adjusted quantities of water directed towards the crop.

2. Facilitating real-time operations

The power of IoT derives from the potential of real-time perceptions and controls. There is no point in having IoT if the connectivity is weak. Without reliable connectivity, the data from sensors and devices, which are intended to be collected and analysed in real-time, might end up being delayed when they are eventually delivered. In healthcare, in real-time, connected devices monitor the vital signs of the patient in an intensive-care ward and alert the physician to any observations that are outside of the specified limits.

3. Supporting scalability

As more devices get connected to the IoT, networks will need to scale up. Connectivity solutions enable networks to grow without inhibiting performance or reliability. As a smart city expands, the ability to add more sensors and devices over time is key.

4. Ensuring interoperability

Unity will also come from using connectivity standards and protocols to ensure that devices from different manufacturers can share information on a single system. If you use message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) (or constrained application protocol (CoAP)  connectivity standards, for instance, you can combine devices made by different manufacturers to form a single system. By doing so, the functionality of interconnected devices will be greater than the sum of their individual capabilities.

Addressing connectivity challenges

Connectivity is the foundation of IoT. But realising this potential poses many challenges.

1. Security and privacy

This means that data is transmitted in vast quantities, resulting in the need to secure sensitive information. This will require advanced encryption, authentication and regular security updates. Security breaches must be prevented in IoT networks to combat potential hacking cases. As a result, data protection is crucial to ensure the privacy of users.

2. Network reliability

Stable connectivity should be provided for the runtime. In IoT, streaming data collected is constantly used for processing and triggering alerts. Failing the connection may affect real situations and cause data loss. To reduce risk, stable network with redundancy and failover is a must.

3. Energy efficiency

Since a lot of IoT devices have to be battery-powered, connectivity solutions need to be low-power to extend the battery life. Hence, designs like NB-IoT or LoRaWAN work well in such scenarios.

The future of IoT connectivity

The future evolution of connectivity technologies will combine with IoT to significantly expand its capabilities. The arrival of 5G will enable high-speed, low-latency connections. This transition will usher in IoT systems that were previously impossible, such as self-driving vehicles that instantaneously analyse vehicle states and provide real-time collision avoidance. The evolution of edge computing will bring data-processing closer to the edge (the IoT devices), thereby significantly reducing latency and bandwidth costs.

Connectivity underpins almost everything we see as important with IoT – the data exchange, real-time usage, scale and interoperability we access in our systems. Whether in the next iteration of our smarter homes, medical IoT devices or pioneering smart cities, the stage for the integration of cutting-edge technologies will be set by making our connectivity robust, scalable and energy efficient.

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