Roaming IoT data to match 165 mn 4K Netflix streaming hours in 5 yrs

New Delhi: The amount of data generated by roaming internet of things (IoT) connections will increase from 86 petabytes in 2022 to 1,100 petabytes globally by 2027, a report showed on Wednesday. This represents enough data to stream 165 million hours of 4K video from online entertainment and gaming platforms such as Netflix, according to Juniper […]

New Delhi: The amount of data generated by roaming internet of things (IoT) connections will increase from 86 petabytes in 2022 to 1,100 petabytes globally by 2027, a report showed on Wednesday.

This represents enough data to stream 165 million hours of 4K video from online entertainment and gaming platforms such as Netflix, according to Juniper Research.

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One petabyte is 1,024 terabytes (TB) or 1 million gigabytes (GB).

This 1,140 per cent growth over the next five years will be driven by the termination of 3G networks, necessitating the adoption of low-power cellular networks.

Only 2 per cent of total IoT roaming connections will rely on 5G networks by 2027, due to the low-power consumption and infrequent data transmission exhibited by the majority of devices.

“Only use cases dependent on low-latency and high-speed data downloads, such as autonomous vehicles and connected factories, will justify enterprise investment in 5G connectivity,” said the report.

The research found that low-power wide-area networks provide a low-cost alternative to established operator-led cellular networks, such as 4G and 5G, driving the growth of IoT roaming connections through low-power, high-penetration coverage.

Roaming IoT connections use wireless services outside of their registered operator’s network, accessing connectivity from other cellular providers.

The report found that roaming IoT connections from the US will generate 277 petabytes of data by 2027; accounting for 26 per cent of the total globally.

With AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon terminating 3G networks during 2022, roaming IoT connections will be redistributed to low-power wide-area 4G or 5G networks depending on the use case.