Extending the Reach of Cellular M2M

Short Range Wireless Technologies' Role in Cellular M2M Deployments

The term “Machine-to-Machine (M2M)” refers to a broad array of wired and wireless technologies and applications typically used to interconnect machines and other non-computing devices. Wireless Sensor Networking (WSN) comprises one key sub-set of M2M, utilizing such short-range wireless (SRW) technologies as ZigBee and Wi-Fi to enable M2M connectivity over a limited, localized area. Cellular M2M is another important M2M segment, albeit utilizing technologies such as GSM and CDMA to provide M2M connectivity over wide area distances. Increasingly, ABI Research is seeing a confluence of these two M2M technology segments. Specifically, SRW WSN technologies are being used to extend cellular M2M connectivity “deeper” into a localized area, in a more efficient and cost-effective manner than would otherwise be possible if every locally-connected node contained its own cellular M2M modem. In this scenario, one local node contains a cellular M2M modem and acts as a gateway to other local nodes via SRW technologies.

Not all cellular M2M applications benefit from the addition of local SRW connectivity. ABI Research believes that telematics, automation and control, metering, and security are the applications most likely to benefit from bundling with SRW technologies to extend the wide area connection to other, local nodes. On the other hand, telemedicine, information displays and wireless local loop, vending, and ATM-POS are applications that do not require the wide area cellular M2M connection to be extended to adjacent local nodes. Consequently, we expect very little traction for SRW technologies in conjunction with these cellular M2M applications.