The emphasis within the much-hyped “internet of things” is often on the things themselves, whether those are sensors, self-reading electric meters, in-car systems or pet trackers. But how about the connection among them?
The optimal choice of technology to link sensors to each other, and to the user, depends on several factors: the proximity of the sensors to the user, how much data is involved, how much latency is tolerable, even what time of day the data is to be transmitted. For example, within a home, many sensors may interact using protocols like Bluetooth, Insteon, Zigbee and Z-Wave. But if those sensors as a group need to connect with a homeowner through a smartphone, they have to access the cellular network.
And in that realm, competition is driving prices downward as carriers respond to a new business opportunity.
T-Mobile this month began marketing IoT connectivity to companies creating IoT applications, offering data plans styled as “IoT Access Packs.” T-Mobile, based outside Seattle, is charging $20 per year, per device, to carry 5 MB of data per month in the first year and $6 thereafter. Unlimited data at 64 kbps costs $25 per year per device, with $5 off in the first year for each device. With either offering, T-Mobile provides a billing credit of up to $16 for the use of each Sequans Category 1 module, an essential item for transmitting data.
“Like everything they do, the carriers over-complicate the Internet of Things, and that leads to more hassle and cost for customers,” said Doug Chartier, a T-Mobile senior vice president, in a release. “The wireless industry needs simpler options for IoT to take off, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering.”
Verizon launched an IoT Developer program in October 2015 and today offers a self-service webpage called ThingSpace. The site lets developers connect up to three devices for 90 days and select from a range of modules. More than 15,000 developers have used ThingSpace to date, the company said.
Data pricing can be based on monthly usage or can be fixed over a set term. Verizon wouldn’t share specifics on its pricing, saying through a spokesperson that rates “are customizable based on the needs of the customer.”
AT&T in October introduced IoT data plans meant to help businesses and developers quickly get their products off the ground. If the data is used over a one-year period, 1 GB costs $25, 2 GB costs $60 and 3 GB costs $100.
In July, AT&T started selling an IoT Starter Kit for $99 that includes a SIM card with 300 MB of prepaid data service, an LTE modem, a development board with a variety of sensors, cloud storage, and access to the company’s Flow, a web-based development environment for creating IoT apps. Last week at CES, the company revamped that kit to emphasize its new relationship with Amazon Web Services, announced in October.
Sprint declined to comment for this story.
Research firms vary in estimating the value of the IoT market — McKinsey says it will be worth $3.7 billion by 2020 — but all are decidedly bullish on the technology, especially in fleet management, government security and surveillance, inventory and warehouse management, and asset management in manufacturing.
