Covid-19 “slowing IoT growth”, study shows

The ‘IoT Cellular Connections by Air Interface by Region’ report found that 5G accounted for less than one per cent of IoT connections in 2020, but would likely rise to 40 per cent of the overall 3.5bn cellular IoT connections expected by 2030.

Strategy Analytics has revised its 5G connections forecast downwards in the short term, with only a slight year-on-year increase projected in 2021. The report’s data forecasts that global IoT cellular connections will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11 per cent between 2019 and 2030.

The organisation suggests that the majority of 5G connections will not be significant until 2026, with 4G remaining the dominant technology over the forecast period.

According to report author Andrew Brown, changes in demand during the pandemic have meant that even as 5G is developed, 4G has continued to co-exist to “provide extensive coverage at a lower cost and remain very important in the IoT”.