New research from Inmarsat has highlighted that the accelerated adoption of IoT networks during the pandemic has not been without its own set of challenges. Inmarsat interviewed 450 global respondents across the agriculture, electrical utilities, mining, oil and gas, and transport and logistics sectors for their research, finding that 75 per cent of the respondents experienced connectivity challenges when trialling IoT projects and don’t feel that public terrestrial networks are completely suitable for their IoT needs.

When choosing IoT connectivity types in areas where terrestrial connectivity is lacking, respondents prioritised reliability (47 per cent), security (42 per cent) and network coverage (38 per cent). This focus on reliability of IoT connectivity is even more pronounced in Latin America (56 per cent) as well as Russia and the Stans (65 per cent), both regions with extensive remote territories with limited terrestrial connectivity. None of the respondents in either region said public terrestrial networks were completely suitable for their IoT needs.

The research highlights that there is still a considerable amount of work to be done to improve IoT connectivity strategies, with only 37 per cent of all organisations using some form of backup connectivity to continue collecting IoT data in remote areas away from terrestrial communications. However, 80 per cent of all respondents agreed that since solving their IoT connectivity challenges they have enjoyed much more success with their IoT projects. With more than three-quarters (76 per cent) agreeing that satellite connectivity provides critical support to their organisation’s IoT communication networks.

Commenting on the findings, Mike Carter, President of Inmarsat Enterprise said: “It is clear many businesses need to overcome these challenges to maximise their return on investment. The fact that they also cite the limitations of public terrestrial networks as a barrier to the success of their IoT projects highlights the importance of reliable, secure and responsive connectivity for delivering the actionable, timely data they need to achieve their IoT ambitions. Dependable, flexible satellite communications play a key role in enabling IoT for businesses, allowing data to be collected, stored, and analysed from anywhere on the planet, including far-flung sites well out of reach of terrestrial connectivity.” The full “Industrial IoT in the Time of Covid-19” report is available online here.

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