What Happened
Does the Internet of Things need a cellular network of its own? Verizon seems to think so. The nation’s largest wireless service provider announced on Wednesday that it is building a new 4G LTE network core specifically designed for connected devices that only require occasional internet access for small amounts of data. Currently, each connected device is treated as just another mobile device when plugged into the existing cellular core networks, which isn’t very cost effective regardless of carrier.
Market Impact
The high minimum monthly fee remains a major barrier to mass adoption of connected devices. Therefore, Verizon’s initiative to cut the cost for low-data-usage devices is a step in the right direction for the development of the IoT market. Lower the monthly fee should help encourage further proliferation of connected devices and enable more everyday devices to come online.
Source: Re/Code
