Smart cities are becoming ever more prescient in todays societies. As technological advancement ploughs on forward at a seemingly unassailable pace, local authorities scramble to keep up and take advantage of the cost-saving measures and efficiency enhancements an Internet of Things (IoT) network investment can offer.

This trend is only set to continue in 2019. A Gartner report predicts that there will be as many as 14.2 billion connected devices by the end of the year. Such rapid growth means that seeing more IoT devices in our everyday lives is increasingly more likely, as an army of digitally connected devices is deployed to our homes and our streets to (potentially) make our lives a lot more manageable.

So, what changes and innovations can we expect to see in the realms of IoT over the course of the next year? Here are our predictions for five Key Trends for the IoT in 2019.

Launch of 5G

The launch of publicly available 5G is upon us. A full-scale IoT Network utilised to its full capabilities will only function optimally with backing from a high-speed, low-latency digital connection, proficient enough to support such a heavy data load.

The steady deployment of 5G technology will support further innovations in the IoT sector, as well as offering a digital connection solution capable of handling bandwidth heavy technologies such as autonomous cars.

Investment in privacy

As IoT networks become more integral to the inner-workings of smart city life, so too does investment in cybersecurity become more pressing. With more sensitive data being handled by IoT technologies, they become more appealing to malicious outside agents.

To ensure the privacy of public data, designing more secure and supportive defence systems can help ease vulnerabilities to hacks or ransomware, decreasing the risk of a data breach.

Public backing for city-wide IoT is unlikely to ever be truly-supportive unless citizens know their data is going to be safe and secure.

Edge Computing

Previously, the majority of IoT devices have operated by transferring data and control to a Central Cloud network. Next-generational connected technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, require quicker response times and more human-like reactions, most notably for safety purposes.

Transferring data to a central cloud system, where it can be processed and a response sent, represents too long-a-process, even over a low-latency network.

For safety and efficiency levels to operate at the highest level, sensors will need to make decisions for themselves. Thats where Edge Computing comes in. In 2019, the ability to make on-demand decisions and process data in-device is sure to become more commonplace. 

Data sharing

Though unique in many ways, most cities are tasked with similar problems; whether its air pollution and waste management, or falling high street footfall figures. Theyre also all publicly gathering data on the day-to-day happenings within their locales. By sharing this data with private companies and developers on a secure, open platform, cities create an environment that fosters collaboration and innovation, ultimately to the benefit of the city themselves.

Managed Platform Services

With so many IoT sensors recording and analysing our data managing them all at one time can represent quite a task. Thats where managed platform services are likely to come in. 2019 is set to see an influx of bundled services from public sector enterprises providing a central control system for all our devices.

The IoT is set for big changes in 2019 as it continues its steady march towards becoming a ubiquitous part of our daily lives.