In mid-September, leaders and technology providers from across the globe will gather in Los Angeles for Mobile World Congress Americas. However, the months leading up to MECA haven’t exactly been quiet, as there have been many telecom shows taking place around the US. For those folks who have been paying attention, these events, including DASPedia, NFPA Conference, DAS and Small Cells Congress, the Safer Buildings Coalition and The Northeast DAS & Small Cell Association’s 2018 Boston Symposium, each offer a hint of what’s to come at MWCA, and what it will mean for the IoT overall.
Here are three trends that we expect to dominate the headlines coming out of MWCA next month.
- 5G will be transformative- A year ago at this time, 5G standards hadn’t actually been established, and while many carriers were underway with testing, the actual definition of 5G was still yet to be formed. Today, 5G is a reality. From handset makers rolling out their 5G ready devices, to each major carrier touting their 5G approach, the future is here, now. For IoT use cases, this means a number of things. From connected cars, which can only deliver on their promise with a robust connection, through real-time big data generation and usage, this will be the year that 5G became a reality.
- But LTE is not dead yet- As a stopgap to 5G, and a way to get more out of employer’s BYOD initiatives, the recent events have highlighted increased interest in LTE connections. Specifically, the innovation bands (CBRS and LAA) have been touted as a critical component to commercial real estate. These bands provide necessary connectivity and independent options for those wanting to control how their data is used and are making waves in testing by companies looking for an alternate cost-effective option to bettered connectivity. On the IoT side, the use cases are quite obvious, especially in industrial settings: companies will be able to connect their devices to a dedicated, mission critical, fast network.
- Public safety is also coming to the forefront- A large majority of the shows in 2018 have been focused on public safety revealing this as a popular trend. Multiple first responder technology providers attended all four shows in Las Vegas with more new faces looking to enter the market and an array of smart devices intended for improvements in emergency connections debuting. On the IoT side this is everything from smarter smoke detectors to devices testing air quality. More importantly perhaps, these initiatives all aim to provide first responders with more access to connectivity in times of need.
As we come closer to MWCA n Los Angeles, CA, we’re getting a glimpse of how the communications landscape is changing. The trends above are among the most likely to be discussed issues at the show. Hope to see you there.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
