The internet of things is coming, but it’s not what you expect

Headlines from CES 2015 this week include Samsung CEO’s promise of an Internet of Things (IoT) that powers our homes with smart thermostats and water meters. Almost a year ago David Cameron committed to turning the IoT “slogan into fact” in the UK. Last month, the UK Government published a strategy for how to do this. The British brand of IoT feels different to the gadgets on show in Las Vegas. Partly thanks to government partnerships, the UK is trying out new sensor systems on our city infrastructure: bins in the park that signal when they are full and parking spaces that know when they are occupied.

Global consumer electronic sales have fallen in the last year by 1%. While there is no doubt that smart phones and watches are here to stay, the computing power we hold in our palms is moving into larger objects and out into the infrastructure around us. With this migration, comes a chance to do something different – something bigger, and better for all of us – with the IoT. At the risk of nepotism, I think Geoff Mulgan hit the nail on the head:

Consumer products – like smart toothbrushes – look like parodies of contemporary capitalism’s tendency to solve trivial problems and needs rather than important ones.

Bin collection is more mundane than a smart watch, but I know which I want improving most.

Public-private partnerships are testing the next generation of the IoT. Milton Keynes Council’s MK:Smart initiative is developing new kinds of sensor systems. One of the first tests pings ultrasound waves across the top of public rubbish bins. When the waves are interrupted, the bin knows it’s full and alerts local rubbish trucks.

The signal between the bin and the central system uses new communication channels, bypassing mobile phone masts and WiFi hubs. These channels can use electromagnetic spectrum with long wavelengths, forming low-power wide-area (LPWA) networks. Longer sensors can run for up to a decade on AA batteries. These sensors can also communicate through the thick walls and obstacles that reduce WiFi and mobile range. The trial could lead to a more sustainable and reliable communication infrastructure for connected objects.

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Large domestic companies like BT and British Gas are ready to deliver large volumes of IoT devices. British Gas has invested in AlertMe - a company that lets customers manage heating from a smartphone. BT is a partner in the Milton Keynes testbed.

Some of the cutting edge technology comes from much smaller, younger companies like Neul and Evrythng. Neul are part of the Milton Keynes project alongside BT. Both companies have seen significant foreign investment in recent months. Chinese tech giant Huawei acquired Neul. Samsung’s venture investment arm has added Evrythng to their strategic partnerships. Without government supported initiatives in the UK, these companies may be tempted to move their business overseas, and the UK would lose some of its advantage.

There is still a risk this could happen if momentum isn’t sustained. The UK has a short window of opportunity to do this well. The government strategy for the IoT needs to be followed by more investment in research and development.

To convert this investment into an Internet of Important Things, there need to be new efforts to couple test beds with active debate about which technology we want to support and which we don’t. A recent report, commissioned by the government, explores ways of engaging the public on a debate about the IoT. It argues:

Involvement in the early stages of the IoT will be crucial to gain public support and input in influencing the development and implementation of the new technologies democratically.

For this to happen, regulators need to sit closer to initiatives like MK:Smart. As the Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapult Centres roll out more schemes, they should use their privileged position at the interface between public and private sectors to lead the way.