The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that embeds sensors and communication chips in everything and connects them to a network to share information. The global market size is expected to reach $71.48 billion in 2024, and Korea needs to strengthen its competitiveness through advanced ICT infrastructure and securing the 700MHz frequency band. Combined with 5G technology, the connectivity and data transmission speed between IoT devices will be greatly improved.
“Everything must be connected.” This is the slogan behind the “Internet of Things,” a buzzword in the electronics industry. The Internet of Things envisions miniaturized sensors and communication chips in everything, allowing objects to connect over a network and share information with each other. The global market for the Internet of Things is expected to reach $714.48 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $4.623 trillion by 2032. It is already considered by many to be the next big thing after mobile.
One of the main benefits of the Internet of Things is efficiency. For example, smart home systems can control appliances and lighting in your home to save energy. In healthcare, it can improve healthcare through telemedicine and patient monitoring. In smart cities, they can reduce traffic congestion, enhance public safety, and more. The potential for applications in these various fields makes it clear why the Internet of Things is so important and why so many companies are paying attention to it.
On the other hand, the development of the Internet of Things in South Korea puts the IT powerhouse with the highest Internet penetration rate to shame. The government has come up with a plan to foster the IoT, and Choi Mung-ki, Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning, said, “We will remove regulations that hinder the development of the ICT industry and revitalize the industry in order to prepare for the hyper-connected era that will come with the emergence of the IoT.” Although large companies such as Samsung have launched smartwatches and dozens of companies in the venture industry have launched smart home solutions and other related products, the growth rate is very slow to lead the global market.
The government is largely responsible for the fact that Korea’s IoT industry is showing only marginal results and remains stuck in the discourse that IoT is important. On April 2, the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning announced that it will promote specialized SMEs and service demonstration projects with the ‘Basic Plan for IoT Promotion,’ and will also conduct joint research and support overseas expansion through cooperation networks with major countries. However, the government is missing the most urgent thing for the development of IoT. The most important thing is infrastructure expansion. Securing infrastructure is a prerequisite for a new technology to take off and for its ecosystem to maintain and develop. If the infrastructure is not expanded, the industry is like a castle built on sand, and it will easily collapse because the foundation is not strong enough.
In the case of IoT, it is urgent to secure frequency bands for IoT. Currently, there is no channel for IoT to connect objects. It uses a part of the wireless communication network for cell phones and local area network technology to communicate with each other. However, this is a very early and improvised approach.
The first problem with current forms of communication is traffic. As the industry evolves, the amount of information exchanged between objects will grow exponentially, and sharing the same frequency bands used by other media will not be able to handle the traffic. In particular, given the nature of the Internet of Things, which uses sensors installed on objects to constantly collect and share information about their surroundings, it is easy to imagine the high traffic burden. In order to solve the traffic burden, it is necessary to secure a wide frequency band in advance.
Second, the frequency bands used by the IoT must be specified for technological advancement and compatibility of various products. Electronic products have different frequency bands and communication methods depending on the communication chips installed. With the recent launch of broadband LTE services, the range of available frequencies varied from device to device, and some cell phones were able to receive broadband LTE services without replacement, while others were unable to accommodate the expanded frequency range and were unable to benefit from the service. The same is true for the Internet of Things. The frequency bands used need to be harmonized so that each product can use them to upload and download information to and from each other. It also allows for the development and implementation of the most appropriate form of communication for that frequency band.
Allocating frequency bands to the IoT is the first thing the government should do. Of course, there are practical problems with assigning frequency bands to the IoT straight from the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning. There are already fewer available frequency bands because each frequency band is already distributed to cell phones, TVs, satellite communications, etc. Redistributing the spectrum or taking certain frequency bands and allocating them to the IoT is not feasible because it would affect other industries.
However, this is not without its challenges. The frequency bands utilized for TV could be partitioned and allocated to the IoT. With the end of analog broadcasting, the frequency bands used by analog broadcasting have become idle. In addition, the white space between channels, which was necessary for analog broadcasting, is also not being used with the transition to digital broadcasting. Therefore, it is natural to consolidate the idle frequency bands for TV and reallocate them to the IoT in order to efficiently utilize the frequency bands.
The technology to consolidate and reallocate idle spectrum for TV already exists. In 2008, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reclaimed the idle spectrum for TVs and has since made it a channel for wireless devices. Companies such as Google, Intel, and others have developed technology to integrate idle frequencies, which has fueled the development of new types of wireless services such as the Internet of Things.
Korea is considered to have the second-best potential in the field of IoT after the United States. This is because Korea is highly recognized for its advanced ICT-related facilities. However, it is impossible to utilize these facilities without securing frequency bands. In order to develop the IoT industry, the 700 MHz band, an idle frequency band for TVs, should be redistributed as soon as possible. The government has said that it will reform unnecessary regulations and establish a new system to develop the ICT industry. It should realize that what is fundamentally needed for the development of the industry is not financial support, but to create an environment that can promote the development of the industry, and put all its efforts into creating infrastructure.
On the other hand, the security issue of the Internet of Things cannot be overlooked. As a large number of devices are connected to the network, security threats such as personal information leakage and hacking are increasing. Therefore, the development of the IoT requires the development and strengthening of security technologies. These security issues are not just technical, but also legal and ethical, and require the cooperation of various stakeholders.
In conclusion, in order to realize the full potential of the Internet of Things, a comprehensive approach is needed in various aspects such as building infrastructure, securing frequency bands, and strengthening security. This will allow Korea to take a leading position in the global IoT market.
