UK operator EE is expecting a “tsunami” of connected devices from the Internet of Things, with connected cars, health and wearables driving the sector.
In an exclusive video interview, EE CTO Fotis Karonis (pictured) said operators needed a “robust and scalable network” in place to cope with the expected boom in data usage. Expectations vary as to how many new devices will use the mobile internet, with Huawei predicting 100 billion by 2020.
There was a wealth of announcements in this sector at last week’s Mobile World Congress, including Nokia Networks and Ericsson partnering with Korea Telecom to explore the Internet of Things and Orange and Telefónica jointly pushing the FIWARE standard for smart cities.
Karonis, who won Mobile Europe’s CTO of the Year award, said operators need to be in a position to provide widespread and reliable coverage to take advantage of the growing sector. He said: “A [strong] network is a must. You have to have that capability.”