IoT Takes Centre Stage at MWC19 Shanghai in China: the Most Connected Country on Earth

MWC Shanghai 2019 returns this month, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre between 26 and 28 June – and, perhaps naturally in the world’s capital for IoT connections, the IoT programme will take centre stage.  IoT’s presence will be kicked off with the Future IoT Convention, taking place at the Kerry Hotel Pudong on June 26 between 13:00 and 18:00.  The Convention will bring together some of the key decision makers in the world of IoT across the mobile industry, business and government to discuss progress and consider the road ahead.

For those who wonder how, for instance, Mobile IoT and 5G will work together in the years ahead, our interactive panel session will convene discussions between operators, their partners and the audience on these complementary technologies, with a focus on industry, healthcare and automotive. There will also be a forward look to the growing opportunities for operators beyond provision of connectivity to service providers, as they make more of their unique position in the IoT to become providers of connected services themselves over the near future. Commercial deployments of this kind exist – leading operators are already delivering value-added, end-to-end solutions such as big data, machine learning and analytics – but there remains enormous room for growth here, where collaboration is optimised and best practice shared widely.

That growth simply won’t be possible, of course, without consumer trust – the glue which will hold the IoT together as it grows – on our final panel, then, we will  hear from companies working to embed security at every stage of the IoT value chain.  If you’d like to join leading speakers from Arm, Deutsche Telekom, Nokia, Orange and more to explore these topics in depth, do come along to the Shanghai Ballroom 3 at the Kerry Hotel on HuaMu Road.  Entry is open to all pass holders, but pre-approved delegates will be given priority. To register your interest please click here.

China continues to prove the world’s fastest-growing region for cellular IoT connections, making it a profoundly valuable place for those with ideas for how to make good on the Chinese government’s commitment to connecting the country at speed.  Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that as of Q2 2019, China contributes 65% of the global cellular IoT connections, with nearly 870 million licensed LPWA connections now installed.  Over the whole Congress, start-ups will demonstrate how they have leveraged the extraordinary opportunities China now offers at Connected China: Leading the World in Mobile IoT.  Supported by leading operators, nine companies will be in Hall E7 setting out how their contributions to smart cities, smart homes and smart industry.  Smart door locks, intelligent pet trackers, and even connected faces will be on display, in just the latest samples of what a country with more than 430,000 engineering graduates can do.

Developers need support to make the most of the opportunities now available to them, however, and that support comes next month through the Mobile IoT Developer Days Workshop: Fast and Secure to Market.  Taking place on June 27 between 11:00 and 18:00, and held in association with Arm, the Workshop will focus on how developers of NB-IoT solutions can build, connect, manage and deploy their innovations, while ensuring end-to-end security. Whether building their first device or seeking to expand their presence in the IoT space, all are welcome, and developer kits will be available, but seats are limited and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The fruits of today’s work by developers will be showcased at the Innovation City in Hall N5 throughout this month’s MWC19 Shanghai, where some of the latest innovations in Mobile IoT will be on display.  China Mobile for instance will be demonstrating a smart greenhouse, which marshals IoT big data via NB-IoT; SingTel will demo an intriguing form of connective fabric, which allows data to be gathered from built environments to deliver enhanced experiences and efficiencies; and China Telecom will demonstrate how NB-IoT can connect underground monitoring systems for smart utilities to assess risk for other areas of infrastructure.  We hope to see many of you there for these timely sessions in the world’s most connected country.