Semtech Electronics Industry Predictions

Marc Pegulu, Vice President Wireless LoRa and IoT at Semtech

As we look toward the year ahead, IoT shows promise in continuing to enable a more connected world – whether that be in our homes, offices, neighborhoods or cities.  While everyone is relying on enhanced connection these days, the development and evolvement of IoT will result in a rise in use cases, further showcasing the importance of the technology. The following are IoT predictions for 2021:

Smarter Homes: The changes and adjustments we’ve made throughout 2020 to make our lives more comfortable has brought to the forefront just how much we need technology – to work, to learn and to stay connected to one another. 2021 will continue to bring even more developments aimed at this goal. Smart home device consumption will rise as individuals continue to work and learn from their homes. With increased usage, we’ll see more demand for IoT solutions that offer immediate insight into the home’s efficiency as homeowners look to reduce costs associated with energy, water, and gas consumption. More homeowners will begin to implement sensors for motion tracking, door lock management, garage door monitoring, gas/water valve use, pipe leak detection, and electrical outlet monitoring.

Smarter Neighborhoods: Smart neighborhoods will be a driving theme for 2021, with simplicity and security at the core of the ability to use these networks effectively. With people spending more time in their home, we’ll see an increase in the use of LPWAN technology to control, configure and connect devices both inside and out. By leveraging LPWAN enabled networks, sensors and hubs, consumers will have increased access to connection outside of their home, beyond their yard, and across their neighborhood, without having to install new infrastructure.

Connectivity platforms: Technology offering higher bandwidth and stronger connectivity will evolve into 2021, giving consumers more choice when it comes to finding the technology that best suits their needs. We will see more devices using LoRa technology and the LoRaWAN protocol to complement and fill the gap left by traditional home networks, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. These networks typically require either high bandwidth or high power, or have a limited range or inability to penetrate deep indoor environments, whereas LoRa is flexible for indoor and outdoor uses cases in smart homes, buildings and cities. Diversification in the use of multiple connectivity platforms will enable bandwidth expansion for high-speed data networks.

Devices will work together: Organizations are determined to make life more connected through their own IoT devices; and as devices are sold, environments are becoming smarter and smarter. While houses, offices and buildings are now equipped with these smart devices, they’re lacking the ability to work together. This is making life more difficult, when it should be making things easier. Interoperability is key here. While consumers are surrounded by many devices, they’re in need of a seamless connection that can exist in a single environment. This demand will be at the forefront of initiatives for IoT providers and developers in 2021, all with the goal of making the user experience more connected than ever before.

Increased adoption and accessibility: More companies and municipalities will look at connected technologies more holistically, allowing for better regulation and increased implementation. Because of this, we can expect to see an increase in simplified, flexible, and user-friendly IoT devices encouraging widespread access. Rather than having developers build location or analytic capabilities, the hardware will come with such features either through cloud services or tight building blocks, enabling rapid application construction to meet individual needs and enable faster deployment.

Tags: Predictions

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