LTE to dominate M2M market after 2021

Mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) connections (not including NB-IoT) will reach 733 million globally by 2021, according to Ovum’s latest forecasts. Researchers predicts that total mobile M2M service revenues will reach a global annual total of USD 67 bln in 2021. The greatest value contributions will come from Asia & Oceania, North America and Western Europe, worth USD 22 billion, USD 16 billion and USD 14 billion, respectively.
 
Many wireless carriers will attempt to maximise their revenue opportunity by extending themselves beyond connectivity, to which end Ovum also forecasts the proportion of revenue that carriers can expect from the various M2M service layers.
 
The M2M forecasts incorporate data from all available carriers and National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and, for the first time, Ovum has forecast M2M splits by technology family – 2G, 3G and 4G. Of all current generations, LTE will be dominant in the long term, accounting for 212 million connections in 2021. In 2021, 2G and 4G/LTE will be at a point of parity, while 3G will account for 172 million connections. Yet, by this time, 2G and 3G will be plateauing, while LTE will be firmly in ascendance.

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