The use of internet of things (IoT) by industry verticals is expected to grow dramatically over the next five years but the underlying policy and regulatory frameworks remain diverse in terms of their approach and preparedness. New Cullen International research highlights that the development of the industrial IoT ecosystem worldwide could therefore follow quite different paths, across and within regions, and across different industry sectors.

This research on IoT is part of a new service launched today by Cullen International, the leading provider of regulatory intelligence. The Global Trends service monitors global tech trends and the related policy and regulatory responses.

“The research looks at policies and regulatory environments for IoT use in specific industry verticals in countries and regional blocks as diverse as China, India, the United Arab Emirates, the EU, Brazil, and the US. The industry verticals covered include agriculture, automotive, health care, smart cities, and public utilities, such as gas or water,” Elena Scaramuzzi, Head of Global Research at Cullen International said. 

According to the research, countries around the world show different levels of regulatory preparedness for the use of IoT in production environments. “Countries like South Korea have invested considerably in the use of IoT across key economic sectors. That was not just about funding pilot projects. The country had also to modernise parts of its regulatory environment, to enable the industrial use of IoT. And to do that, Korea had to start several years ago,” Ms. Scaramuzzi pointed out.

Cullen International’s new global research addresses specific policy and regulatory issues related with IoT use. One important issue is the use of radio spectrum for industry. According to the research, several countries, including the US, have recently increased the spectrum available for unlicensed Wi-Fi use, which is used for many industry applications. Some other countries, including Japan or Germany, have set aside 5G spectrum for industrial licensing on a local basis. “We tried to shed some light on this aspect because the approaches undertaken by national regulators may vary significantly even when addressing spectrum requirements in a specific vertical like the automotive sector. So, our research looked not only at the frequency bands and type of licences offered for industrial uses but also at aspects such as who is applying for such spectrum, and why,” Ms Scaramuzzi explained.

Cullen International’s new Global Trends service identifies a range of disruptive new tech trends – such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and 5G, as well as IoT – and compares how policy makers and regulators are setting the rules across the globe. Cullen researches each trend in detail, applying rigorous analysis to pinpoint the essential facts, and presenting the results in a simple visual format to provide decision makers with a clear strategic perspective.

About Cullen International

Cullen International (www.cullen-international.com) is an independent provider of regulatory and competition law intelligence in the telecoms, media, digital economy and postal sectors - covering developments in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, as well as key trends across the globe. For over thirty years, the company’s comprehensive, neutral and timely information has been trusted by industry and official institutions alike.