Getting ready for the #M2M big data surge

We’ve mentioned before the massive growth forecasts that surround the M2M market. This article gives some serious thought to what that actually means for networks and network operators.

Research from Australia suggests that, though M2M data traffic is currently manageable, there will come a time in the near future when growth begins to ask some very serious questions of network operators. With forecasts suggesting that we can expect a 30 fold increase in data traffic, more devices sending larger pieces of data, the bottlenecks that currently existing networks will need to be addressed.

M2M traffic prioritisation will become a major concern for operators over the coming few years as M2M devices multiply. This will require greater control and flexibility which will require investment in the storage and handling of M2M data. It’s clear that standardisation is a critical factor in M2M growth and ETSI’s recent attempts here are a welcome step forward. More will  be required though and the industry is watching as operators begin to increase their investment in the M2M infrastructure.