Artificial intelligence (AI) is deemed as a critical technology needed to boost LPWAN (low power wide area network) application values. Global tech giants including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Baidu and other software service providers are aggressively developing the AIaaS (artificial intelligence as a service ) business model, and telecom operators are seeking to integrate AIaaS service s and their massive MTC (machine type communication) data generated by LPWANs to explore immense potential business opportunities in the new era of AI, according to Digitimes Research.
The NB-IoT and eMTC standards released by 3GPP for cellular LPWAN applications in mid-2016 involve low investment costs and high network coverage for current 4G LTE operators, but only 3.6% of global LTE network operators had launched such cellular LPWAN commercial services as of the end of October 2017.
The reluctance of the majority of telecom operators to launch LPWAN services is partly caused by their little knowledge about how to boost LPWAN application values, Digitimes Research believes. The application values of LPWAN evolve in three stages: data collection, data analysis and forecasting. As far as long-term industrial values are concerned, LPWAN should serve as important foundation for AI machine learning and forecasting capability while AI will impact telecom operators in three major aspects: consumer services, big data analysis and network architecture.