COVID-19 Has Disrupted 5G Development but Not Stopped It

The transition will be slow, but 5G will change the landscape for enterprises.

Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Paving the Way to Fast 5G Roll Out

To help MNOs and potential investors to remove doubts about this new technology and drive momentum, there are concerns about DSS that should be clarified.

E-Commerce and the Evolution of Fulfillment

"Micro-fulfillment centers" are now located in the rear of established stores, with the sole purpose of delivery fulfillment and pickups.

The Dark Side of the IoT: How National Regulators Are Restricting M2M/IoT Business

The National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) led by the European Union example are slowing, introducing the revision of the IoT roaming, connectivity, and IoT data laws. 

COVID 19: Will Smart Building Technology Simplify the Return to the Office?

It is time for Buliding Management Systems and application providers to adapt their plans to offer applications better suited to tackling the future problems that commercial buildings will face as and when “normality” returns.

Making Shared Mobility Travel Safer in the Wake of COVID-19 through Connected Sanitization

Connected services related to hygiene control, or based on voice and facial recognition to avoid contact with surfaces, will become more popular among ride-hailing, car rental, and taxi companies.

COVID-19 Market Disruptions Cause Smart Meter Shipments to Tank 25% Depressing Revenues by US$3 Billion in 2020

The market disruptions due to Covid-19 pandemic will result in a 25% Year on Year (YoY) decrease in annual smart meter shipments in 2020. Consequently, smart meter YoY revenue will contract by 31% (US$3.3 billion) to reach US$7.39 billion, finds ABI Research. However, smart meter shipments and revenues will bounce back in 2021 with a 36% YoY growth in annual shipments and revenues exceeding US$9.5 Billion.

“As energy and water utilities prioritize their business operations, most utilities have temporarily deferred smart meter installations and have re-allocated resources to field service operations to ensure continuity of services to its end customers,” explains Adarsh Krishnan, Principal Analyst. “Meter installation delays have also been driven by service providers and utilities complying with government guidelines on social distancing. That said, utilities that have already initiated smart meter installation programs are expected to immediately resume those installations as soon as government restrictions are eased.”

New Connected Vehicle Shipments will Drop at Least 15% Due to COVID-19 Related Supply and Demand Disruptions

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused global new vehicle sales to contract by 19% in the first quarter of 2020 due to supply chain disruption, factory shutdowns, and the automotive vertical’s high dependence on brick and mortar retail sales. The lower sales are invariably driving down shipments of connected vehicles, and connected car platform subscription growth. According to ABI Research, new connected vehicles will drop at least 15% globally in 2020. Furthermore, lower overall revenues will force OEMs and suppliers to reduce their expenditure on R&D, leading to industry consolidation and rationalization of investment.

“In the short term, a few OEMs may temporarily postpone immediate projects that add additional value to customers to concentrate their efforts on actions to reduce costs of ownership and to make their supply chain resilient and agile. However, investments and adoption of connectivity packages should remain constant due to standard fitment, such as eCall,” explains Maite Bezerra, Smart Mobility and Automotive Analyst.