Making Use of Superfast Connectivity

Abstract

So far, this book has concentrated upon the direct relationship between 4G and consumers. However, the emergence of high-speed data transfers is transforming the world in which we live in ways that affect consumers only indirectly and of which most may for now only be vaguely aware. The purpose of this chapter is to examine this phenomenon via a limited number of illustrative case studies. The discussion is initially concerned with exploring the phenomena of Big Data and the Internet of Things. In essence, huge amounts of data are being generated on a daily basis and the issue is how to use this in a financially rewarding manner. An attempt to answer this question is made in the context of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and smart cities. The growth of M2M has been so rapid that, not uncommonly where technological advances are concerned, the various parties involved, and in particular mobile operators, have ‘gone with the flow’ without any clear strategy about how to turn a profit and there is a lengthy analysis as to whether this is, or is not, going to happen. There is also an analysis of the development of smart cities and the role that mobile operators might play in their development.