Ofcom throws support behind Internet of Things

Steve Unger

UK broadcast regulator Ofcom has set out plans to support The Internet of Things (IoT), in a bid to ensure that the UK plays a leading role in developing the emerging sector.

Ofcom said it wants to work with industry and the government to create a regulatory environment that “fosters investment and innovation in the IoT.”

“There are already over 40 million devices connected via the IoT in the UK alone. This is forecast to grow more than eight-fold by 2022, with hundreds of millions of devices carrying out more than a billion daily data transactions,” said Ofcom.

The regulator has identified four ‘priority work areas’ relating to IoT. following input from stakeholders: spectrum availability; data privacy; network security and resilience; and network addressing.

“The Internet of Things will bring benefits to a range of sectors and could change the way we live our lives. As a result of this growth, we have listened closely to industry and want to develop a framework for this technology to evolve in a way which will ultimately benefit citizens and consumers,” said Steve Unger, Ofcom’s acting CEO.