Based on the findings of Pyramid Research, they believe that China is set to become the number 1 powerhouse in M2M technology, with a number of their leading telecoms businesses at the forefront of the charge.
M2M (machine to machine) allows wireless networks to communicate with a number of devices at once. It is fundamentally the building blocks of the “future home” where mobile phones are able to communicate with the fridge or oven all over the same network. Cellular companies such as China Mobile and China Unicom are currently in the strongest positions of all networks in China to take advantage of the growing demand for this technology in this continually developing economy. With this sustained growth, China are set to become the number 1 provider of M2M tech, with an estimated 128 millions devices being used by 2017. At the time, that will account for 8.5% of all cellular usage worldwide.
M2M is a big deal the world over, so this report is significant. It is thought that M2M is set to become one of the fastest growing industries in the US over the next year, signifying the need for it in developed economies. Over the next 4 years alone, it is believed that M2M will grow at a rate of 57.2%, becoming huge part of the overall economy and matching the growth of Cloud networks – popularised by Apple.
Just how the technology will change lives is yet to be seen, but we can certainly expect there to be a battle by network providers to provide the technology at the most affordable prices.