Internet of Things and Fiber Optic Networks

The Internet of Things has many years being a hot topic, but what exactly is it? Shiv Sharmam, CEO-Syrotech Networks Ltd.

The internet of Things (IoT) has become a well recognised phrase over the last few years. It’s about connecting devices over the internet and letting them talk to us, applications and each other. It’s set to revolutionise the way we interact with the world around us and everything in it. For example, what if your fridge could tell you it was out of milk, eggs or, even better, what if it could automatically order some more through an online supermarket for home delivery? The potential of the internet of things is much broader than simply making our domestic lives that little bit easier.

It can be defined as a future in which everyday objects will be connected to Internet and will be able to communicate with each other. The Internet of Things as “the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of.”

But, IoT is more than just smart homes and wearable tech. The scale-up potential is huge for industry and a significant amount of data can now be collected, analysed and put to use saving companies a substantial amount of money. This could be done, for example, through tracking objects as part of a supply chain by using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, or in agriculture, monitoring crops and boosting maximum yields through a leaner use of water.

The examples are endless, and we can expect connected devices to creep into most businesses, similar to how computers and the internet have. In manufacturing, efficiency is very important and the IoT is already being utilised for organising tools, machines and people; tracking where they are and ensuring they are being utilised effectively.

A network of over 20 billion devices will create an immense amount of data, which all needs processing if businesses are to make effective use of it. The wireless communications tech industry is working on its next big development, the 5G revolution. Though 4G is still being deployed in many countries, and is adequate for now, in five or ten years time it will not be able to meet requirements for new applications. When 5G is deployed it will be 100 times faster than 4G, will have one fiftieth of the latency and be over 50 times more instantaneous in terms of getting data to and from a device. This is expected to usher in entirely new ways of doing business, create new industries and drive unprecedented economic and societal growth. Commercial deployment is expected to happen in 2020, with both industry and academia working towards this common goal.

The proliferation and ‘smartening’ of IoT-driven devices is projected to reach a market cap exceeding $195 billion in 2023, according to analysts at ReportsnReports. From a market of $16 billion in 2016, this growth is mainly fueled by the increasingly ubiquitous manufacturing of smarter in-home, mobile, and transportation devices - and the need to capture that data and enhance communication infrastructure. According to Gartner, over 6.4 billion IoT devices were ‘connected’ in 2016 - with this number set to exponentially grow over the next decade.

The smarter devices become, the more data they need to make complex decisions. Sensors and external data gathering implements are becoming an essential catalyst for IoT industry growth. The accuracy of sensors and actuators that measure geospatial proximity, acceleration, temperature, and motion will separate the industry leaders from the laggards.

How exactly is the Internet of Thing related with optical fiber?

When all your gadgets and devices are connected and communicate with each other, data transmission needs to be fast, and there is no other transmission media able to reach higher speeds than optical fiber. Therefore, the Internet of Things needs optical fiber broadband to reach wirelessly 100Gpsb speeds and reproducing 4K videos in just seconds.

Billions of devices connected with each other put a big issue on the spotlight: security. Will anybody be able to hack your phone and have access to your house? Is it going to bring more security and privacy threats? It probably will. But then again, optical fiber networks will be the solution because they are the most secure ones as it is really hard to hack them without being detected.

Also, with fiber there aren’t going to be interference issues as it is immune to electromagnetic currents and can be installed basically everywhere, from underwater to high-temperature places.

FTTX networks needs to be prepared for the added traffic, because network capacity will be critical for the success of smart cities and homes when everything is connected with everything.

The goal of a truly interconnected tech ecosystem will also mirror equal growth in data and business intelligence. The more things are interconnected, the more companies will need to gather data, push remote updates, and control devices in the field. Hence, remote communication needs to be reliable, data needs to be accurate, and the ability to extract meaningful information from big data becomes paramount.

A successful and stable IoT ecosystem is predicated upon an infrastructure that can support it. It remains to be seen whether vast investments in communications infrastructure will be able to support the growth in IoT. With concerns around cybersecurity, it also remains to be seen how the industry will deal with both privacy and security.

The one for sure thing is that IoT will continue to play a bigger role in our daily lives and the economy at large. It is not a question of if the industry will continue to grow, but at what velocity.

About Syrotech Networks: Syrotech Networks is a manufacturer of a comprehensive range of Optical Fiber Networking Products. Syrotech has its offices in India and Hong Kong with manufacturing facilities in India, China and Korea. Its products range can be broadly categorised in the 3 categories: 

* TRANSMISSION: Optical Transceiver modules (SFP) compatible with major OEMs, PON SFP, CWDM/DWDM mux/demux.

* ACCESS: GPON/GEPON-OLT and ONU, Media Converters, POE & RPOE Switches, Fiber Switches etc.

* CONNECTIVITY: All passive components and products like Patch Cord, Pig Tail, Splitters, Adapters, LIU, Drop Cables, termination and distribution boxes etc.

Our focus at Syrotech is to manufacture high quality and cost effective products aimed at providing our customers with robust and reliable solutions while bringing their operating costs down. This is backed up by a strong R&D, technical and field support.

Syrotech is engaged with all the key segments in India viz. Telecom Operators, ISPs, Government, SI, MSO/LCO, Manufacturing and Enterprise. In addition to India we also operate in the markets of Europe, Africa, Middle East and parts of Asia & America.