Berg Insight has found that only 2% of the mobile network connections worldwide were used for wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communication at the end of 2010, growing 46% year-on-year to an estimated 81.4 million. In the next five years, the total number of wireless M2M connections is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 32.0% to reach 294.1 million connections in 2015. Don’t be afraid though, because at the point, machines will account for only 4% of the total number of connections.
According to the research company’s Tobias Ryberg, M2M and connected devices are now one of the main drivers behind the growth in mobile subscribers in Europe and North America, with all of the world’s largest telecom operators having several million M2M subscribers in their mobile networks. During the first quarter of next year, it is expected that AT&T emerges as the first mobile operator to reach 10 million M2M subscribers after more than doubling the installed base in the past 12 months.
Mr. Ryberg goes on talking about current trends where customers no longer have one or two mobile subscriptions, but up to five or more different wireless devices. Besides his smartphone and tablet, a tech-savvy American could own an e-book reader and a connected PND, drive a car with an embedded telematics system and have a cellular security alarm installed at home. His Scandinavian compatriot could have a smart electricity meter with embedded GPRS connectivity, a Frenchman may use a cellular speed control warning system and an Italian might have installed a car telematics device from his insurance company…