Page 98 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

ARTICLE

China Mobile International: Enabling Connection of All

Sorts of “Things” at an Unprecedented Scale

China Mobile International has established a strong framework for the
development of internet-of-things (IoT) ecosystems, readying itself in a
segment poised for massive future growth. And with 5G starting to take

shape, it is well-prepared to handle the predicted surge in connections.

China Mobile International (CMI) and its billion, according to figures in a recent can help wholesale and enterprise
parent company have sought to go large Ericsson report. Among these, cellular IoT customers to rapidly grasp opportunities
with their concept of “big connectivity” connections are forecast to quadruple over in the IoT sector is through its ability to
in the past few years, capitalising on the the same time period to just over 4 billion. offer a single point of contact and contract.
growing digitalisation of a whole array of “The simplest way [to gain access to the
“things”. And given the significant traction the market] is to have one contract with one
company has gained in its domestic IoT carrier that provides global connectivity
Big connectivity is ramping up further as market, CMI can harness the extensive through a single platform,” he says. “The
5G makes its debut in a rising number of learnings it has gained from that in single-contract and single-platform
countries around the world, in preparation delivering services to carrier customers approach helps enterprise customers
for the widening variety of applications the – something it is supplementing by reduce complexity in terms of mobile
new technology enables internationally in strengthening its capabilities through connectivity.”
the internet-of-things (IoT) and machine- investing in systems, platform and human
to-machine (M2M) arenas. Indeed, CMI resources. The IoT connectivity management
parent China Mobile’s commercial launch platform offered under CMI’s iConnect
of 5G in its own domestic market in While the company’s main market is offering is provided on dedicated network
November 2019 promised to lend further China, it has also been expanding its work infrastructure aimed at supplying fast,
impetus to its IoT offering. overseas to capitalise on the opportunity it smooth and comprehensive 4G coverage
sees for big connectivity on a wider scale. throughout China, along with 2G, 3G and
The company has already put itself in A key target for this are the “Belt and Road” 4G global roaming.
a strong position to provide services to countries of Asia, Africa and Europe, in
customers in this burgeoning sector, as line with its domestic market’s national The IoT connectivity
seen in the surge in growth in the offerings strategy to boost land and maritime management platform
it has. By the end of 2019, China Mobile infrastructure between the regions. offered under CMI’s
had 884 million IoT customers, with the
number almost doubling year-on-year. Considering these trends in addition to iConnect offering is
In the first half of 2019, meanwhile, the China Mobile’s position as the world’s provided on dedicated
company saw its IoT-derived revenue largest mobile operator, with close to a
rise more than 40 per cent year-on-year, billion customers, and CMI’s extensive network infrastructure
reaching over RMB5 billion (£550 million). network, the company has a major part to aimed at supplying fast,
play in enabling the connection of all sorts
Wider industry forecasts also indicate of “things” at an unprecedented scale. smooth and comprehensive
the market’s huge potential. Total IoT 4G coverage throughout
connections worldwide are, for example, Single point of contact China, along with 2G, 3G
predicted to rise 160 per cent between Andrew Niu, chief partnership officer at
2018 and 2024, from 8.6 billion to 22.3 CMI, says one way in which the company and 4G global roaming.

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