Not all that long ago, the idea of autonomous vehicles was the stuff of sci-fi dreams. Fast forward a few years and suddenly many thought they’d be sitting back and scrolling on their phones while their self-driving car got them from point A to point B.  Today, we’ve landed somewhere in the middle. Fully autonomous cars are not quite yet a reality, but there has been exponential growth in self-driving features. And when it comes to other modes of transport, such as public transport, we’ve already boarded the proverbial autonomous bus. 

When we talk about autonomous cars it’s good to keep in mind that there are 5 levels of autonomy.  

• Level 1: Some small steering or acceleration tasks are performed by the vehicle without human intervention 
• Level 2: Includes things like advanced cruise control and the car automatically taking safety precautions while the driver remains alert.  
• Level 3: Still requires a human driver, but a number of safety-critical functions are performed by the vehicle under specific traffic and/or environmental conditions. This level is where potential danger starts to be seen 
• Level 4: The car can drive itself almost all thetime, butcan be programmed to not drive in unmapped areas or under certain weather conditions. Car makers in the self-driving area want to be here 
• Level 5: Full automation in all conditions

To put these levels in perspective, when the car industry talks about ‘self-driving’, they are referring to levels 3 and 4. Yet despite the herculean efforts being made by leading players in the tech and automotive industries, we won’t be taking a nap in the back seat of our car while it takes us to work any time soon. This despite any number of announcements over the past few years about plans to bring self-driving cars to our streets. The only self-driving cars on the roads right now are in a handful of cities that are conducting readiness tests. There are a number of reasons for this. 

• Fatal accidents cause by the few partially or fully automated cars being tested
• Algorithms not yet fully developed
• Connections unable to maintain speedy and steady data exchange
• Software vulnerable to attacks

Additionally, it’s not just smart software but also smart roads that are needed to allow cars to run independently, which means cities will need to adapt their road infrastructure. When looking at these factors it’s easy to understand why self-driving cars haven’t advanced as far as predicted – and why the hoped-for ‘start’ date keeps being pushed back.  

But it’s not all bad news: even as engineers continue to develop cutting-edge technologies to advance the case of self-driving cars, the advent of 5G, along with powerful embedded top-down computers will allow stronger and better internet connections and near real-time data flow. And if we look beyond self-driving cars, there are a lot of autonomous vehicles already in play, where lessons can be learned.  

Beyond self-driving cars 

If we look past self-driving cars, we can see a different picture of autonomous vehicles.  Public transport is where we have already boarded the proverbial autonomous bus – and we’ve been on it for quite some time. 

The first driverless metro system was inaugurated in Kobe, Japan in 1991, and since then their popularity has only grown, with 63 fully automated operation lines in 42 cities across 19 countries. The benefits are clear: safety, flexibility, punctuality, cost efficiency, and perhaps most importantly, passenger satisfaction. Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen established its award-winning fully autonomous subway system in 2002 and saw commuters switching from other modes of transport to the metro, including up to 47% of bus passengers and 20% of local train passengers. Even today, nearly two decades later, a regular survey shows that 98% of travelers on the metro are either “happy” or “very happy” with the service.  

If we look at automated metros through a different lens, we can see that the first 500km of automated lines were built over the course of 29 years – but once the technology was proven, it took just eight years for that number to double. According to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), there will be over 2,300km of fully automated metro lines in operation globally by 2025. UITP says that there is a diversity of profiles of lines and cities around the world, which demonstrates that there are a broad range of services that automated lines can offer to meet the mobility challenges of cities as rapid urbanization continues.

Moving away from the streets and into our factories, we can see that there is an ever-increasing number of semi and fully autonomous vehicles within manufacturing operations and even in the field, such as in mining. Free-range Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), mobile robots, autonomous forklifts and cranes, and even low-payload drones are being implemented. Issues related to retrofitting, safety concerns, and lack of skills/knowledge about the technology are cited as among the barriers to adoption, yet most also recognize the cost advantages to adopting industry mobility, such as cost savings, customer/supply requirements and expectations, increased safety, and employee expectations and preferences. 

Other industries where autonomous vehicles are making themselves invaluable include airports and agriculture. In addition to beginning automation in areas like baggage handling and shuttles, airports are already seeking new airport maintenance solutions, such as autonomous tractors to keep runway edge lights clear of snow., where the technology has already been tested.  This is happening alongside other solutions using automatic mowing and friction measurement systems. Snow clearing is a vital function at airports, where runways must be completely clear of snow in order to enable flight take offs and landings. Many airports currently have staff on standby to clear snow when and where needed, but automated snowplows free up staff to put their focus on other safety-related tasks not suitable for automation.  

In agriculture, autonomous vehicles already represent $3 billion in investment, a number that is projected to grow to $12 billion by 2026, with controlling costs while increasing output the main drivers. For example, one autonomous tractor equipped with connected sensors can work unmanned 24/7, while another can provide guidance on fertilizer application. Other autonomous vehicles can patrol the fields collecting data on soil conditions and other factors that impact crops, such as weather conditions.  

There are many other examples of how autonomous vehicles are already playing an important role in business and one thing is clear: as technology advances and as 5G enables real-time data, usage will continue to grow exponentially.

If you would like to learn more about how Tele2 IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.  

To the naked eye, there isn’t much difference between consumer and IoT/M2M SIMs. The SIM in your mobile phone looks pretty much like the SIM in an IoT device, but there are critical differences. Your phone SIM is a commercial UICC plug-in, while an IoT device that is enabled to remotely manage subscriptions and has space for a removeable SIM is using an eUICC plug-in SIM. So, while they may look the same, the capabilities of eUICC SIMs are revolutionary for the IoT market- and the most secure eUICC formfactor on the IoT market today is the embedded SIM.

Let’s look at the different layers of an eUICC SIM and how those layers need to match in order for the SIM to work.

How are the layers linked together?

The hardware Operating System (OS) and electrical profile work like a minicomputer, with the different layers needing to be compatible for the SIM to function correctly. Not just any OS with work with any hardware, though, and it’s the hardware and OS compatability that decides if a SIM can support eUICC functionality.

This means there is no need to physically change the SIM – you can switch between different profiles in the same MNO, or from one MNO profile to a different MNO profile.

The Operating System

In addition to matching with the hardware, the OS supports important features on the SIM. If there is a PIN active on the SIM, the PIN handling is in the OS, as are authentication, access, and management of files and data, along with loading and deleting applications. Encryption/decryption and tamper proof functions are also handled in the OS.

One eUICC profile, many MNO profiles

An eUICC SIM has one eUICC profile but can store multiple MNO profiles, although only one MNO profile will be enabled at a time. So, what are these profiles?

The Tele2 (MNO) profile and eUICC profile are personalizations of the SIM. They contain network keys and subscription identifiers (IMSI, ICCID, authentications keys.) The Tele2 profile can either be personalized when the SIM is produced in the factory, or it can be downloaded later through SM-DP (Data Preparation)/SM-SR (Secure Routing).

The task could be implementing the business logic to change a connectivity profile based on rules, such as when one network is not available and you want the next best available one.

If the SIM has a local applet, this is stored in the Tele2/MNO profile. If it’s a global profile it will be in the eUICC profile. To provide interoperability applets are typically developed in JAVA.

Today Tele2 IoT has an applet that clears forbidden networks, and in 2024 local management and management of 5G stand-alone on eUICC will be launched.

What is unique in an eUICC SIM?

Every eUICC SIM has an EID (eUICC identifier) which is the administrational key in the hardware layer. If there is an MNO profile change the SIM will have a different ICCID and IMSI, but once the eUICC SIM is produced its EID is never changed.

The EID contains 32 digits compared to the ICCID’s 20. There is a shortened version of the EID printed on both the embedded and plug in eUICC chip. The EID is provisioned in the SM-SR, which is also responsible for managing the status of profiles on the eUICC.

Hardware and formfactors

When using a SIM that has eUICC capabilities it is important that the hardware is robust and long lasting. ETSI has a classification of the different environmental properties in which the SIM is graded.

On a SIM technical sheet, the environmental performance can be represented in a string, together with which version of ETSI specification was used. The string of letters can then be looked up to understand what the SIM can withstand.

For example, the environmental property temperature has the grades TS, TA, TB, and TC. The Premium industrial SIM is graded as TB in its ETSI, string while a commercial SIM is graded TS. The eUICC Premium Industrial SIM can be stored and operational in the temperature range of -40 °C to + 105 °C ,while the UICC commercial SIM can only be used in the temperature range of -25 °C to + 85 °C

As mentioned before there are two types of SIM cards: plug-in formfactors (2FF, 3FF, 4FF) that are removable, and embedded formfactors that are soldered into the device. The most popular embedded SIM on the IoT market is the MFF2 (M2M Form Factor).

As the abbreviation applies the MFF2 SIM is designed for M2M/IoT use cases and is delivered on what looks like an old film reel. It is one of the most secure chips due to being soldered into the device and the device can be designed in a way that makes it more robust in general. An embedded SIM is also a greener alternative to plug-in SIMs, with less plastic and metal per SIM.

If you would like to know more about our SIMs and eUICC functionality, please feel free to reach out to the Tele2 IoT team.

You need to ask yourself if you need connectivity right now, or will you need it a year from now and ten years forward. What is your data and latency? How easy will it be to exchange the technology going forward, and what are the basic requirements of your use case?

6 connectivity components

Coverage 

Some IoT solutions need deep indoor coverage, while others regularly move around so that they always will find coverage somewhere. We are used with having cellular networks having 2G and LTE coverage almost anywhere and the technologies LTE-M and NB-IoT allow for even better coverage. If we assume that LTE-M and NB-IoT are activated in the same cells as is currently providing LTE, an extended coverage than what is provided today by the network operators can be expected.

Power consumption

Power consumption may play a critical role in the type of connectivity you choose for your IoT solution. Will your devices have constant availability of a power source or will they run on battery power? Will the batteries be rechargeable, or can they be easily replaced? LTE-M and NB-IoT are conservative on battery power and have battery saving possibilities such as PSM (Power Saving Mode) and eDRX (Extended Discontinuous Reception) that can reduce power consumption by reducing the responsiveness of the device. By securing good coverage where the device is located and limiting the communication, battery power can be saved.

Bandwidth & latency

Does your IoT solution require high data output with low latency, or will you be transmitting small amounts at regular intervals? There is a vast difference between CCTV with its high usage and bandwidth requirements, charging stations that need to be instantly activated, and temperature sensors with regular sensor readings – different factors will affect your choice of technology. LTE and 5G support low latency, high bandwidth, while LTE-M and NB-IoT support low cost and power consumption.

Cost

Total cost of ownership in IoT solutions include multiple cost points, such as subscription and usage fees for connectivity, bill of material for the device, the need to visit the device regularly and, in some cases, even running your own last mile network. The choice of technology affects the cost for your IoT solution. Make sure you are getting the connectivity you need at a total cost that fits your budget.

Most operators today offer a connectivity management platform to manage your cellular connectivity. They should offer smart automation functionality that can help you ensure that your connectivity costs are under control during the lifetime of the device with a limited amount of manual intervention.

Reliability and Security

For almost any IoT solution, reliability and security are crucial. For some, the connectivity is mission critical for providing the service. When selecting connectivity technology, make sure that you select one where there are partners that can provide a reliable and secure network service.

Long-term Support

The business case of most IoT solutions rely on devices that are functional for a long period of time. Depending on the technology and supplier choice, this will affect the long-term support. Cellular operators offer services on licensed frequencies that are backed by GSMA and 3GPP. We see that 2G and 3G networks are being sunsetted, while LTE and 5G will be around for many more years. LTE-M and NB-IoT are forward compatible in 5G and will have long term support in the industry.

As new technologies emerge and others are being sunsetted IoT will continue to evolve.  It is crucial that your connectivity provider is not able to just meet your needs today, but is also preparing to meet them tomorrow.

If you would like to learn more about how Tele2 IoT can meet your connectivity needs, please get in touch..

Even prior to the advent of Covid-19, IoT was already poised to impact air travel in any number of ways, with the potential for new IoT-enabled technology to improve the overall efficiency of existing solutions. While the post-Covid world of travel remains something of a question mark, there is no doubt that when we do once again take to the skies, IoT will impact our experiences, both on the ground and in the air.

The airline industry faces unprecedented challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with close to 90% of the world’s population living in countries with some sort of travel restriction. The recovery time of airport operations is expected to differ significantly based on region and country, due to governmental response and support levels, with most industry experts predicting a 12-18-month recovery period.

Airports are under tremendous pressure to reduce operating costs, which make up around 65% percent of total airport costs. There aren’t a lot of silver linings in this situation and the industry rightfully concerned, but if there is one thing the airline industry can do is use this massive slowdown as an opportunity to improve cost efficiencies and productivity while streamlining operations – in other words, increase implementation of automation and digitization.

The shift to touchless travel and new health safety regimes will be heavily reliant on IoT-enabled technologies. At the same time, data must be protected, with privacy, consent, and transparent data governance at the heart of any solution. IoT presents a unique and substantial opportunity to improve almost all aspects of the airline industry in the wake of Covid, from ground maintenance and operations to crew and passenger safety. Here’s how:

Contactless travel

If one thing is clear it is that the future of airports is contactless travel. Even prior to the pandemic, expanded security measures and other factors meant time spent in airports had increased exponentially and airports had already begun introducing new technology and processes to mitigate waiting times.

In the post-Covid world of air travel the implementation of contactless travel measures will accelerate. In practice this will mean reducing the number of human interaction touchpoints in conjunction with the implementation of social distancing norms.  Proximity sensing, contactless, agent-free and automated check-in and boarding will be critical, with things like off-site check-in at, for example,  hotels and shopping malls decentralizing processes for passengers.  Autonomous, handsfree cargo processing and other airport operations will also reduce human contact.

Additionally, mobile applications already in use can be further enhanced to provide wait-time tracking, boarding calls, and zones to optimize queues and ensure social distancing around areas such as boarding gates, restrooms, and security. And the increased use of biometric corridors at airports will allow passengers to seamlessly pass-through security for verification without ever having to touch anything.

Health requirements

Health screening at airports is now being encouraged or even mandated by governments in order to prevent unwell passengers from traveling or staff from working. Health screening, immunity passports, health certificates – these measures are all on track to become the new norm. Manual thermal and temperature screenings are already being used, while trials are underway for self-service, touch-free technology that can detect a person’s temperature and heart rate, while asking a series of questions from a 1.5-meter distance at airport touchpoints such as bag drop, immigration, security counters, etc. Additionally, wearables will enable travelers to practice safe social distancing, while maintaining other health and safety compliance parameters.

Managed sanitation

Maintaining high standards of sanitation is of paramount importance in the post-Covid world, and this is never truer than when it comes to the closed environment of an airport, where people from all over the world come together for a brief moment in time. Myriad smart cleaning schemes are already being implemented, such as real-time monitoring of supplies like soap and sanitizer dispensers and paper supplies, which not only reduces waste, but also improves labor efficiency.

Some airports are even trialing UV-C lighting, which has been used to disinfect medical equipment for decades, to sanitize notoriously grubby security trays, while others are keeping passengers informed about rigorous cleaning checks, such as when surfaces in any particular zone were last sanitized.

Crowd reduction

Even before Covid, IoT-enabled devices and cameras were being used to determine traffic patterns and crowd movements throughout airports. In the post-Covid world it will be even more important to not just monitor over-crowding but to react quickly to it.

IoT- enabled sensors and cameras ensure real-time communication of crowd status, queue status, and wait times, along with occupancy, passenger density, and capacity volumes in various areas. Not only can passengers be advised when it comes to navigating the airport, facility management can quickly implement measures to reduce crowded areas.

Asset management

Delayed departures cost airports millions each year and leave untold numbers of passengers stuck in the closed environment of the airport. By tracking the huge amount of physical assets in the airport, IoT can significantly improve efficiency while also reducing costs, which in turn will help everyone keep on schedule. Tracking can include anything from ground service vehicles and baggage tugs to water trucks and de-icing vehicles, ensuring everything arrives at the right gate at the right time – and if they don’t, quick action can be taken.

Smart boarding

Optimizing boarding processes reduces queues and avoids the traditional rush towards the gate when boarding begins.  A digital sign displays the boarding sequence and passengers are only allowed to board when their seat number/s come up on the display.  The result is no queue build-up at the gate, jet bridge, or in the aircraft aisle, with social distancing ensured.

These are just some of the ways IoT will take airports into the post-Covid future – and as airports adjust to the new normal many more innovations will surely come to the fore. The end result will be a smart airport that keeps travelers safe by responding to their needs quickly and effectively, while also streamline processes and operations.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can help your business, please get in touch.

Adoption of IoT within healthcare continues to grow at a rapid pace, with one of the biggest growth areas being Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). And while RPM was already taking off pre-Covid, the global pandemic has driven home the need for remote care. Nearly 90% of healthcare providers have invested in or plan to invest in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Remote Patient Monitoring technologies improve patient and clinical experience, and lead to better outcomes and lower costs.

What is Remote Patient Monitoring?

Remote Patient Monitoring is a subset of telehealth that uses digital technology to facilitate the collection, transmission, evaluation, and communication of patient health data via electronic devices, which include wearable sensors, implanted devices, and handheld instruments. These monitor patient health outside traditional clinical settings, as well as collect medical and other forms of health data on everything from blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels to heart rate, sleep patterns, and bathroom usage.

The collection of patient data outside of medical centers facilitates care for conditions ranging from chronic diseases to recovery from acute episodes, and not only does RPM allow for better, more precise care, it is particularly beneficial to elderly and vulnerable patients and patients with multiple comorbid conditions as it allows these patients to continue living in their own homes for longer periods of time. Additionally, RPM reduces hospitalizations, readmissions, and length of hospital stay, which in turn improves quality of life and controls costs and enables doctors to act preventatively in regard to the correct medicine, which helps avoid complications.

Patient and provider buy in

Each year a multitude of innovations are brought to the market but many of these solutions don’t take off due to a disconnect between patient-provider needs and obstacles within healthcare systems that prevent the progression and successful adoption of RPM.

Remote Patient Monitoring programs are only successful when the patient understands and welcomes the value of the service and commits to doing their part. Devices must be easy to use, and their benefits clearly laid out to the patient. An easy, out-of-the-box user experience will go a long way towards smoothing the path of patient adoption.  If devices are too complex to configure, uncomfortable, or difficult to use, patients will not accept them.

Not all monitoring systems are created equal, though, and a multi-platform approach, such as apps that can handle multiple conditions across a wide range of devices, is key to fulfilling the potential of RPM. These devices need to be able to filter the incoming data in order to avoid alert fatigue, and they must be connected to an existing healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, security and communication standards must be prioritized in order to protect patient confidentiality.

The benefits

There are any number of benefits associated with Remote Patient Monitoring, and as the spread of RPM continues, these benefits will become entrenched:

• Improved patient compliance
• Improved patient outcomes
• Fewer hospital visits/stays
• Enhanced post-hospital care
• Improved medical staff efficiency
• Cost savings/better use of resources

Many of these benefits are obvious; for example, virtual check-ins allow healthcare professionals to schedule far more appointments than if they had to drive from patient to patient. Additionally, more regular check-ins can be scheduled, allowing patients to ask questions and providers to ensure patients understand and carry out instructions regarding medication, therapy, etc. This is particularly important when it comes to remote locations where travel between patients means only a few visits can be scheduled each day.  RPMs also allow the involvement of not just the patient, but also their loved ones, who can help monitor both the care provided and that the patient is following instructions without disrupting their day with in-office visits.

Why cellular connectivity?

When it comes to Remote Patient Monitoring, your IoT solution needs to be reliable, flexible, and secure. There are a number of connectivity options to consider and while no option is necessarily bad, some are better suited to RPM than others.

Connecting remote medical devices is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Available internet access in a patient’s home is not a given, particularly when it comes to the elderly, and unreliable and insecure networks can be a problem. Cellular connectivity is ideally suited to RPM because it is not dependent on in-home internet availability. Additionally, with the right IoT provider, you will have the benefit of roaming, which means you will always be using the best available network, something that is crucial when working with mission-critical solutions. And since healthcare applications require very high availability, it might come in handy to have multiple providers to improve that availability. That’s where eSIM capabilities can come in handy, as you have primary and secondary CSP IMSIs.

Another factor to consider is having available the right connectivity management platform in order to manage what could be a large number of devices on a local, regional, national, or even global scale.

There are three things to consider when it comes to realizing the full connectivity potential of your RPM solution:

1. The connectivity solution meets your requirements, including availability and security
2. The SIM management platform is easy to use and offers you the support you need
3. Real time visibility and management of your device connectivity

Security

And finally, when it comes to healthcare in any form, security and patient confidentiality are paramount.  Medical data is extremely sensitive, and it is important that it is kept secure when being handled, transferred, and read.

Because of the sensitivity of the data, every part of your IoT solution needs to be secure. It cannot be overstated how important it is to choose an IoT partner who is able to support the high level of security needed. Additionally, even the slightest hiccup could have major ramifications, so it is critical that your IoT provider is also able to provide a high-level of 24/7 support in order to swiftly mitigate any potential issues.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your healthcare solution, please get in touch.

When you start looking at what kind of connectivity solution you need for your IoT project you will likely be thinking about both coverage and price.  One will impact the other when it comes to choosing the right connectivity package for your IoT solution, so it’s important to consider all aspects of your connectivity needs.  

Depending on your use case your need for roaming can vary; for example, you may have devices that cross borders and/ or travel globally, you may have devices that are limited to one country or region, but that are also mission critical so need the best coverage possible, or you may have devices that will be deployed locally and are sending data once a day. All of this means that roaming is an essential component to some customer’s solutions, while for others cost control takes precedence.   

So, any number of factors will come into play when deciding which connectivity package is right for you.  

Quality of coverage vs cost of coverage 

No network has truly global coverage and most countries don’t have just one network – they often have 3-5 different operators, with some having better coverage than others. As a customer, you have the possibility to gain access to many all of these networks, but you can also limit the number you have access to. If you choose to have one operator per country that also allows roaming, you can choose the one where the cooperation is the tightest and the cost is lowest.  

On the other hand, if you want access to all networks available, there is a price for this type of connectivity because your connectivity provider needs to cover the costs generated by roaming. So, the cost of connectivity will be reflected by whether you want all networks or just one.  

What are your needs? 

What we’ve seen at Tele2 IoT is that many of our customer’s solutions rely heavily on roaming. This of course includes customers whose devices are traveling across borders and around the globe, such as fleet management, but it’s also important for customers whose solutions are regional or national, often because they don’t always know where their devices will end up but also because they’re mission critical. 

Looking at use cases, a simple monitoring or metering service, or a service that is primarily located in an urban area might mean you need connectivity to collect data regularly, but it’s not a mission critical situation where it would be a disaster if one device briefly loses connectivity or has a bad signal from time to time. Micro-mobility companies connecting e-bikes or e-scooters are one example of this. They’re mostly operating in urban areas, so probably would be satisfied with the connectivity package that offers good urban coverage but that won’t guarantee you’ll be covered outside of the city. For these types of companies, an urban-specific option with less comprehensive coverage will cover their needs while also helping to control costs. 

Other use cases, such as anything connected with healthcare or transactional data, is where access to all networks is much more important, even if they’re country or region specific, because loss of connectivity means they can’t operate their business. If something goes wrong or there is an outage for some reason, having access to all networks means even if a device briefly goes offline, it will quick scan for and pick up the best available network, and your mission critical solution will continue more or less uninterrupted. If you have limited your coverage to one or two operators, it’s not guaranteed you won’t face disruptions.  

Which package is right for you? 

At Tele2 IoT we understand that different customers have different needs. Therefore, we have developed a number of standard and premium packages that support your needs, no matter what they are. 

For example, if price is your main concern and availability is not, you might want to choose the package which offers good coverage on selected networks. If you need the best available coverage, perhaps across different regions and borders, a more premium package giving access to all available networks would be better suited to your needs.  

To learn more about our connectivity packages and how we can help you understand which will effectively support your business needs, please get in touch.  

IoT and sports – two words that not many thought we’d see in the same sentence, but it turns out that IoT is having a growing impact on sports and it’s gaining more traction every day. Here’s how it’s happening. 

Player performance, health & safety

By combining analytics with digital sensors, wearable technology, and video of matches, coaches are using data to obtain metrics on player efficiency and performance, as well as weaknesses in opponents. This actionable data has a number of benefits, including developing better in-game strategy.

Additionally, embedded devices such as smart shoe insoles and embedded sensors produce an abundance of data that helps sports doctors and physical therapists to maximize performance while mitigating injury risk and developing better healing strategies.  Off the field, these devices deliver data via players wearing clothing with integrated sensors as they practice and train.

Coaches and medical staff can use data to gain insights into when to stop practice, rest players, and address things like muscle imbalances. Coaches and managers can also track a player’s historical data, leading to informed injury prevention and the identification of performance limitations.

Furthermore, smart devices in shoes, mouth guards, helmets, and other wearables mean the identification of exact body movements and performance scenarios where safety could be an issue. When an injury does occur – and this is sports, after all, where injury is part of the game – IoT can play a role in the rehab process through the use of personalized data that helps medical staff optimize recovery plans.

Enhanced fan experience

Sport venues are increasingly equipped with IoT devices and applications, turning them into smart stadiums that respond to fans needs and increase engagement.

A smart stadium can utilize real time data on digital signs or via mobile applications to alert fans to where they can find short lines to concession stands and rest rooms, along with available parking, seat upgrades and onsite offers. Fans can even order refreshments via apps and get alerts as to when their order is ready.

IoT deployments improve operational efficiencies in sports venues, such as optimized energy usage, due to monitoring temperatures and lighting throughout the venue and adjusting as needed. Predictive maintenance is also being employed, and even things like optimized restroom cleaning schedules are helping to enhance fan experience.

The use of connected cameras and drones – smart surveillance – are being used to keep an eye on fan behavior by monitoring every corner of the arena or stadium and tracking access to sensitive areas. Stadium staff are able to enact a swift response to any issues that may arise. Advanced solutions can utilize facial recognition to oversee fans’ behavior.

Let’s get ready to rumble!

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.

Smart CCTV is predicted to be the biggest platform for 5G IoT in the coming three years, with the number of devices expected to reach more than 11 million units by 2022 and nearly 50 million units by 2023. With roughly 770 million surveillance cameras already installed globally, it’s clear that the world of CCTV is poised to undergo a rather seismic change.

Smart CCTV vs Traditional CCTV

5G-enabled smart CCTV does everything 4G-enabled CCTV does –and then it does a lot of things that weren’t possible previously. Faster speed (10 times faster than current 4G) and low latency (less than half a second between transmission and reception) means CCTV might just be the ideal use case for 5G, because extremely low latency equals a very quick reaction time.

With faster speed and ultra-low latency, we’ll enjoy better and clearer images that will be transmitted in near-real time. And with the help of data and enabled algorithms, the ability to understand and make sense of those images will mean that smart CCTV will not just be able to detect behavior but also to track and then evaluate it.

So, while cellular-based security camera systems using 4G are already a reality, 5G will take things to a whole different level.

Smart CCTV Business Benefits

Smart CCTV offers a wide range of advantages and has myriad business applications that include but also move well beyond security, including business intelligence and information management.

Let’s look at a warehouse: goods are loaded, unloaded, stored, and shipped. Smart CCTV allows you to not just stay on top of these activities but to also address loss prevention and ensure there are no deviations in inventory.

If we turn to manufacturing, there are many areas where smart CCTV can play a valuable role, including monitoring everything from parking lots, access to entrances and exits, office areas, delivery and dispatch areas, and of course, manufacturing and assembly areas. Smart cameras not only offer benefits in terms of the security of machinery and product but also the safety of employees: video can be used in post-incident investigations, allowing for adjustments to safety procedures.  CCTV can also monitor the overall production process, with technologies like thermal imaging allowing you to monitor potential issues, such as machines overheating, and take proactive measures.

When it comes to smart campuses, such as airports, smart CCTV applications are even more widespread. In this type of environment, smart CCTV and the data it generates can be used for the obvious security applications, but also for crowd control, merchandize ID, parking optimization, payments, inventory control, marketing, and much, much more.

It also generates data that can be analyzed and then used for commercial purposes, such as implementing higher price points on goods in heavily trafficked areas or charging more for premium retail space.  Additionally, a high-definition camera can conduct stock analysis, with alerts being sent automatically when shelves begin to empty.

Challenges

While smart CCTV has obvious benefits for both societies and individuals, there will be a number of challenges, with privacy being one of the big ones. With increased capabilities to track and monitor populations some do question the Big Brother nature of what is heading our way.

Handling the enormous amount of data that will be generated will be another challenge, both from a cost perspective and a storage perspective. Real time 5G IoT applications will require systems that sit on the edge and that are connected to a backend repository, such as the cloud.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.