Why Internet of Things (IoT) has immense potential in India?

The Internet of Things is generating enormous interest in the telecom world nowadays. IoT is expected to digitize our lives while making us more efficient and dependent on technology. For the telecom operators in the saturated developed markets, it could also be the next big source of revenue. Let me try to define this technology first. Internet of Things is a seamless network of uniquely identifiable everyday devices and objects that are connected to each other and the Internet with the purpose of making the daily life smarter and efficient through exchange of data between these connected machines without requiring any human intervention. Some have even called it the Internet of Everything.

Without violating an individual’s privacy, I believe IoT has tremendous potential in a fast-developing country like India. Seamless Internet connectivity through either Wi-Fi or high-speed cellular network is a prerequisite for this technology and India is getting there, albeit slowly. Mobile revolution has taken a solid foothold in the country. Smartphones are becoming increasingly common and possibilities of what can be achieved through a few finger touches on a mobile app are mind-boggling. The government’s latest push towards ideas like Digital India and Smart Cities is targeted primarily towards making people’s lives hassle-free and efficient. IoT fits very well in such a scenario and could be a growth driver for the country. In a vision document released by the government last October, an objective has been set to create a $15 billion IoT industry in India by 2020. Investments have started flowing in already. Cisco has committed $40 million to the Indian IoT space. Intel Capital, Qualcomm Ventures and many other VC firms are also investing millions of dollars in this industry. With such major push, here are some applications of IoT that can be implemented in India –

• Home Security – Security of homes in the absence of occupants is a major issue in many parts of India. IoT has a solution here. A set of strategically placed cameras connected to the Internet can provide a live feed of activities in and around a home on the owner’s device. Such systems are already in use nationwide. The next step would be to monitor the house through a mobile app with a built-in capability to immediately contact the police or local security authorities. A sensor that monitors opening of doors and windows, controls lighting smartly and detects unusual sounds when no one is home can help in preventing burglaries and intrusions. Godrej Security Solutions’ Eagle-I Pro is a wireless home alarm system that uses a mobile app and features many such IoT home security aspects.

• Automated Homes – The concept of smart appliances and devices within a home that inter-network with each other is more about convenience than anything else. Imagine a refrigerator that detects the grocery levels and sends a list of things to be ordered to the owner. Not only that, with a few touches on the mobile device, the order can be placed at a nearby store which delivers the products within a day or so. Next, how about a temperature control system that can be commanded remotely to keep the house at a certain comfortable level before the kids get back in? A recent product which accomplishes an interesting set of tasks in an automated home is TagPlug. It is basically a smart switch and plug that senses if a room is occupied and runs the equipment in the room accordingly. It even helps in saving electricity by automatically switching off – lights, phone charging or the water motor once the task is completed. Sounds cool? We will get to the ‘is this really needed’ part later.

• Sanitation and Cleanliness – With the current government’s latest Clean India initiative, there is a new found emphasis on keeping the surroundings clean. Commonly cited application is of a neighborhood smart trash collector that alerts the municipal authorities when full. If the sanitation crew does not respond within a certain time period, the trash collector can also send a message to the higher personnel in the department. Wireless sensors that detect dirt piles and unclean areas can be deployed in dense areas of a city. Pay as you throw model charges people on basis of how much garbage they throw and want to get collected. Such trash metering will discourage people from generating waste and hence would be very useful in India. Mumbai and Ahmedabad have conducted pilot projects using Vehicle Tracking Systems that track the movement of garbage trucks and help in route planning along with efficient allocation of sanitation staff.

• Healthcare – Tracking and remotely monitoring a patient’s health (with the patient’s permission) is another popular application of the Internet of Things. The technology has been applied in two ways. First, hospitals and doctors can track vulnerable patients and elderly people for any sudden changes in vital parameters. IoT devices can even include panic buttons in order to minimize emergency medical situations. Robert Bosch in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science has designed applications that achieve some of these objectives. Fitness app that measures exercise, weight, blood pressure and other vital statistics is also an emerging area of interest. The app sends data to either the healthcare provider over Internet or uploads it to a user’s database for storage. 2mpower and SenseGiz are two startups having products in this space.

• Traffic Control – Ever-growing traffic is a huge problem nationwide. IoT can help here too. Intelligent traffic management systems are the most obvious applications. A common scenario is the estimated time to reach a destination based on vehicle density ahead. Further step could be the delivery of live traffic feeds to a user’s phone or car that assist in making route decisions and avoiding congestion. Smart traffic signals can regulate the traffic flow at busy intersections. Improved parking is another focus area here. Wireless sensors that intelligently gather information on parking availability can directly connect to a driver’s phone. This makes it easier to find a vacant parking spot without driving around. Altiux Innovations is a company that has come up with a smart parking solution.

• Transportation Logistics – Fleet tracking and monitoring could improve the overall performance of goods transportation. Wireless tags inside trucks can provide the owners with a real-time capability to scrutinize the use of vehicles on road. Freight theft and driver behavior can be checked too. Tata Motors is empowering its trucks with such technology. Telematics4u is a company that works with state governments to prevent illegal trading of minerals. Their system puts smarts tags in trucks that keep a check on supply, truck routes and unlawful distribution of minerals before reaching the intended destination. All this can greatly reduce losses for the industries while controlling corruption.

• Agriculture – Internet of Things is not just a technology for urban areas. Farmers can also benefit from it by modifying their procedures based on collected data. This could include precise weather monitoring, updates on soil moisture levels, ability to customize climatic conditions for healthy production of fruits and vegetables and temperature monitoring in the grain storage areas. Health analysis of livestock and remote pest monitoring are other possible applications. An improvement in the efficiency of agriculture will have a direct positive impact on the economy of India.

• Individual Safety – IoT finds use in enforcing law and order too. Wearable devices for women and elderly can help prevent trouble. Such embedded devices will come equipped with a high-pitched alarm and panic button. They will draw public attention and will also send a text message through the cellular or satellite network with the user’s location to certain contacts from the phone. The capability to contact the police or security authorities can also be built into the wearable. All this will reduce crime by discouraging attackers and provide more confidence to women if they venture out alone or after dark. Many such gadgets are in developmental stages in India.

• River Management – Another big project being undertaken currently is cleaning of rivers, especially the longest river in the country, Ganga. Wireless sensors at various locations on the banks of the river can detect chemical and biological contaminants that are dumped into the river from various factories and cities. All such data will be collected at the local server that further sends it to the regional monitoring site. This helps in identifying polluters and repeat offenders. Tracking the water level in rivers and dams can avoid flooding disasters. L&T Technology Services has delivered products in this field of water management.

• Smart Cities – Many of the above IoT concepts tie into the bigger idea of a smart city, which is again a huge project in the government’s future plan. Smart cities are information technology backed urban areas in which everything from essential services to luxurious amenities is based on the IT infrastructure. Wireless devices and sensors that feed data into central system are an important component of such cities. Basic amenities such as electricity and water and broader issues like traffic and parking are all controlled from a smart grid and this makes the whole mechanism very efficient. High speed Internet connectivity in these cities is ubiquitous. The government wants to establish 100 smart cities in India in the long term for which it has already allocated a budget of about $1.2 billion. Many countries have shown interest to participate in the development of these cities. Cisco is a big name among the companies that have developed blueprints and concrete plans for such intelligent dwellings. However there is not much clarity on the actual implementation yet and challenges remain before this dream can be turned into a reality.

These are just some applications of the revolution called IoT. There is absolutely no dearth of cool stuff happening in this space. A startup named CarIQ has developed a plug & play device that connects to the car and continuously runs the cars’ diagnostics. The collected data is sent to the cloud that processes the information and sends it to the owner’s phone via a mobile app mainly in the form of alerts. SmartBuildings offers an innovative technology that provides monitoring, control and analytics solutions to make office buildings more efficient and comfortable. The solution offers energy conservation and temperature/lightning control apart from a powerful data analytics tool that processes all the information and displays it in the form of real-time dashboards.

However, there is another way to look at IoT. Is it required to begin with? Whenever there is a discussion on Machine-to-Machine communications, this is a popular counter-argument. Will intrusive technology take complete control of our lives and make us lazy? Although the extent of an individual’s dependency on Internet and mobile is variable, in many ways we have already ceded much space to technology with round the clock usage of smartphones, laptops and social media. It is quite clear that if implemented efficiently, IoT can work wonders for India given the extensive burden on infrastructure and increasingly busy lifestyle of the common man. And that is why India is fast emerging as a hotbed of IoT startups nowadays like the ones listed above. Only time will tell if this is a promise that fails to realize its full potential. But possibilities of how IoT can make life easier are enormous.

What to expect from the next generation of wireless communications?

One of the best things about the world of wireless telecom is that there is always something better to look forward to. We are currently experiencing the third and fourth generation of wireless technologies all over the world with many regions moving from 3G towards 4G. Even though 4G deployment is at a nascent stage in most countries, researchers and standard making bodies are already thinking about the future. Some may call it 5G, but I would hesitate to use that terminology. With 4G becoming a complete marketing term rather than a technical one, who knows what they will start calling 5G? While reading this article, let us just envision the possible characteristics of wireless communications in the year 2020 and beyond. Some studies have estimated that the number of globally connected devices or things will reach 50 billion by the end of current decade. Under such demanding circumstances, here are seven key developments that could transform the next generation mobile networks into something much more than just high-speed highways and thus could shape the wireless world in the next 5-10 years –

End to end broadband connectivity that meets or exceeds user expectations – Higher data rates would be one of the cornerstones of future mobile communications. Newer air interface standards will continue to emerge although at a slower rate as compared to the past. But that will not be the focus of next generation services. It will be more about the end user experience. The target would be to minimize dead zones and dropped data/voice packets. The quality of voice on the phone will be so clear that it will feel like a face-to-face conversation. Small cells and HetNets will assist in plugging coverage holes. Five signal bars will be ubiquitous. Latency will approach zero. Massive scalable network capacity will prevent any network congestion. Connectivity would be pervasive and it would not matter whether you are in a subway tunnel or at a stadium competing with thousands for a wireless connection. Robust wireless networks will withstand natural calamities.

Dynamic allocation of resources – Given the increasing value of spectrum, backhaul, radio and network infrastructure, a fixed range of bandwidth and services is not the most efficient utilization of resources. A more productive solution would be mapping the service requirements to the most suited combination of frequency and radio resources. Diverse spectrum bands with varying propagation properties will co-exist within a single system. LTE is a good example here. If the current pace of LTE deployments persists for the next few years, most wireless equipment in the world would be running on this technology. But LTE spectrum is fragmented. In such a scenario, the base station (eNodeB) will press the best available spectrum in service to a particular receiver based on the demand and type of application. The radio network might even be intelligent enough to predict the resource requirement within its coverage area in advance.

Customized user specific experience – The future wireless communications will focus increasingly on delivering enhanced support for diverse applications while remembering the customers’ preferences and usage patterns. The customer will be able to trust the service provider. Quality of service will be tailored to the applications’ demand. For example, if you want Facebook to run faster on your phone as compared to other applications, you will get that. If you prefer video chatting over other services, the operator will offer a data package accordingly and the network around you will optimize automatically based on your needs. All this may come with an extra price tag on top of the regular bill, but the overall process will be frustration free.

Multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks – Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) are designed to operate without any infrastructure and possess self-organizing capabilities. The wireless nodes communicate among themselves using multi-hop radio relaying, without the packets passing through a central access point or a base station. The concept has been applied in defense and emergency scenarios for many years, but its about time that MANETs make their way into the commercial world. Once inside an ad hoc network, it won’t matter if a mobile device is not in a conventional wireless network’s service area. A few devices or phones nearer to the network will act as repeaters and smart antennas and will cooperate with rest of the phones in the area to enhance coverage and capacity.

The Internet of Things – The idea of machine to machine communications is not new and has been discussed for years. However, the ‘Internet of Things’ is a relatively fresh term referring to various objects in our lives all possessing a unique RFID (linked to an IP address). They will communicate with each other without human interference, help in decision making and save time. Various gadgets or appliances in the home, office or car will work as smart machines. So if you want coffee to be ready on getting home from work, your car will be programmed to message the coffee machine once you are a few minutes away from home. Healthcare providers will be able to monitor their smart device wearing patients remotely. Appliances that need replacement or repair will take care of themselves. Now some of this may sound like an invasion of privacy or unnecessary interference, but the world of technology is essentially moving in that direction.

Centimeter and millimeter wave frequencies as spectrum source – Spectrum refarming and sharing are great short term solutions, but not too viable over a longer period of time. The spectrum above 3 GHz has been largely left untouched so far in most parts of the world. By the time the next decade comes around, lower spectrum bands would be running at peak capacities and the industry would be looking at utilizing extremely high frequencies in the range of 30, 60 or even 100 GHz. These frequencies can support bandwidth in a few gigabits for short range applications. Researchers at Samsung and New York University have been working to prove the potential of these waves and have also suggested measures to overcome low propagation challenge in these frequency bands.

Smart and efficient receivers – The evolution of smartphones has put a lot of emphasis on designing receivers that not only provide a smooth and seamless experience but also have long-lasting battery life. Eventually we will reach a point where the device would know how to conserve power and network will optimize in order to reduce the power consumption at the device. It will always be aware of the surroundings and exchange data with other nodes in its area without the need to route the packets through a base station. Advanced interference management will also be a key feature in the device hardware. The primary intelligence of the network will remain with the transmitter for the foreseeable future, but eventually receivers will play an increasingly important role in making the mobile environment more efficient on a network level.

Some of the above solutions like the Internet of things and dynamic resource allocation are already in deployment. However the actual implementation of most of these would require a massive redesign of both wireless networks and the operators’ business model. Telcos would like to treat certain services as premium initially, but over a period of time, the overall cost of wireless services would decrease. Few years down the line, the obsession with higher speeds that comes along with every full or half a generation of wireless standards will decline. Data rate will always be a vital factor, but more importantly the overall user experience will take precedence. A decade from now, when we talk about wireless communications, the mindset would have changed more than the technology.

Machine to Machine (M2M) Wireless Communications

All of us need wireless communications to connect with fellow humans or with the Internet. Yes, the machines talk to each other but usually a human is involved on least one side of the machine. The concept of M2M extends that idea through which the devices directly connect with each other with or without human intervention. It is not necessary that an individual initiates such a communication. To make this sound more convincing, here are a couple of examples. Smoke alarms are a common feature of every house in US. Their function is to make a loud unpleasant noise on detecting smoke. What if the smoke alarm can also send a text message or make an emergency call to the owner’s smartphone or to the nearest fire station? Think about a coffee machine which can be controlled remotely from a tablet or phone to brew coffee and notify the owner when the coffee is done. Sounds cool but somewhat unnecessary, correct? We will get to the negative implications of M2M in the later part of this article, but first let us see its positive aspects and related industry developments.

Machine to machine systems consist of intelligent, cognitive and semi-robotic devices that understand and perform their tasks with high efficiency. Once programmed, they do not depend on a human being to set the communication in motion. Such systems use sensors and transceivers to generate data from a device. The data is then transmitted across a communication network to another machine where employed personnel analyze the data. Now let us be clear that M2M networks are nothing new. They have been working in different forms around us for years. Apart from those quoted above, here are a few more M2M network examples which have been either deployed recently or could see the light of day in the near term –

• General Motors’ OnStar is an in-vehicle communication system which provides infotainment, safety and diagnostics services to the occupants of the car. It features an Advanced Automatic Collision Notification that helps emergency response operations in a collision incident. OnStar makes it simpler to recover a stolen vehicle, helps in sending relevant information to insurance companies and regularly notifies owners of their vehicle’s diagnostics. All these services are optional and subscription based. AT&T recently announced that it would be providing all network services including LTE on OnStar equipped cars. Similar initiatives are gaining ground in Europe too.
• Car and truck fleet management systems provide the transport companies the ability to track their automobiles in real time. Ocado, an online grocery store in Britain is in business to deliver fresh refrigerated goods to their customers. A microchip transmitter inside their delivery trucks sends real time air temperature updates to the company’s headquarters thus preventing incidents of food spoilage.
• Smart electricity and utility meters have already been deployed in many countries. Apart from providing insights into power outages and demand spikes, they can assist the customer in regulating their power usage. Turning on a washing machine during off-peak hours and slowing down the air-conditioner when electricity gets expensive are some of the benefits of smart power monitoring.
• In the healthcare sector too, M2M is making inroads. A patient wearing a smart device can have his condition monitored in real-time by a remote hospital or a doctor. M2M equipped exercising equipment can directly send vital data about a person’s body to his healthcare provider.
• The concept of M2M is behind the development of many other customer centric applications. Consider these scenarios – a smart camera that suggests scenic surroundings, refrigerator which can connect to your phone or directly with the grocery store to send notification about low running groceries, trash can alert devices that contact the collector when full and a car sharing your driving habits with the insurance company.

The M2M phenomenon is essentially driving us towards a global network often referred to as Internet of Things. Such a network will not only bridge computers, phones and tablet, but it shall also connect household appliances and all sorts of automated machinery. M2M communications have generated much interest in the past year or so, given that the technology is reaching the threshold required to deploy these systems in a fast, economic and proficient manner. Another motivation behind the recent M2M push is the network operator’s desire to diversify into new fields of wireless communications. Although a huge population in the world still does not have a wireless connection, many markets are approaching a saturation level as far as the voice subscriptions are concerned. Data services have an immense potential for growth and will continue to attract new customers. But still, bigger players like Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Vodafone, Telefonica and Deutsche Telekom are looking for fresh sources of revenue. This is where M2M comes into play. Bundling machine to machine service along with mobile phone and wireless broadband services could open a new door for these providers. Multiple telecom and technology corporations have tied up to promote the machine to machine ecosystem. Ericsson and SAP have joined forces to develop and sell cloud based enterprise level M2M solutions. Vodafone has partnered with Accenture, SAP, Intel and Digi. Their M2M products focus on smart cities, energy, health and automotive sector and were demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month. Eight major mobile operators namely Telefonica, SingTel, Rogers Communications, NTT DoCoMo, KPN, Telstra, Vimpelcom and Etilasat are part of an alliance to develop a single global M2M platform for multinational and multi-network businesses which enables management of connected devices in different countries. Jasper Wireless’ Control Center powers the M2M solutions of all these telecom providers. Verizon Wireless had been an early provider of M2M products ranging from the field of telematics and healthcare to mobile payment technology and connected cars. Not to be left behind, AT&T has developed M2M applications for enterprises. It has partnered with Cisco and Qualcomm to promote device platforms for that Internet of Things. Sprint Nextel too offers a wide range of M2M products in retail, smart grids, telematics, public safety, healthcare and insurance. Many other major telcos are involved in M2M in one way or the other. The diagram below represents different M2M networks in an area. Note how similarly colored lines connected to the tower depict a single M2M network.

The number predictions for globally connected machines are humungous. Ericsson forecasts that 50 billion intelligent devices will contest for bandwidth by 2020. That would be around 6 devices per person on the planet. Sweden based telecom analysis firm Berg Insight predicts 187 million M2M connections by 2014. Machina Research, a UK based M2M consulting organization believes that there will be 12.5 billion smart connected devices by 2020 excluding PCs, phones and tablets.

But what about the non-technical and social aspects of machines communicating with each other? Some have rightly called it creepy. Many would not want their household appliances to connect to the outside world. Why does the healthcare provider need to get regular updates about one’s exercising routine? Location tracking, which is an integral part of various M2M products, is not acceptable to most of us. Perhaps machines talking to each other would make us lazy and careless. If I cannot wait for a coffee after getting home or am reluctant to get up from the couch to make it and would rather order the same through my tablet, I surely need help. Already phones and online networking are affecting our social habits. M2M could lead to more disruption. On the other hand, M2M does have multiple cool applications as discussed above. It could lead to financial savings and more efficient lifestyles. Ultimately, it is the customers’ choice. He could opt to subscribe to only certain M2M services that he is comfortable with. Like all other industries, in this industry too, consumer would be the king and he will decide what he wants. But again technology has often created new markets rather than just filling up existing gaps.