IoT connections in China expected to exceed 3 billion this year

China's Internet of Things (IoT) connections are expected to exceed 3 billion this year, according to a white paper on the fully and intelligently connected digital economy released at the 2024 World Internet of Things Convention (WIOTC) on November 3.

The IoT is a fundamental infrastructure that leverages sensing and network communication technologies to enable ubiquitous connectivity among people, machines and things. It provides services such as information perception, transmission and processing.

Data shows that as of the end of July 2024, the total number of mobile communication base stations nationwide reached 11.93 million, forming differentiated access capabilities to meet the diverse application needs of various industries. By the end of August 2024, the number of IoT end users had reached 2.565 billion.

He Xuming, chairman of the WIOTC Executive Committee, said that China has taken a lead in global IoT infrastructure development and digital economic innovation. The country is on track to build over 4.3 million 5G base stations to support IoT this year and surpass 3 billion IoT connections.

China has become the first major economy in the world to have more mobile IoT connections than the number of its mobile users and has constructed the world's most comprehensive and advanced network infrastructure. According to data, China's digital economy is projected to surpass 70 trillion yuan ($9.84 trillion) in annual output, growing at a rate exceeding 20 percent. Nearly a million enterprises are now equipped for the advanced digital economies.

Standardization is the foundation of the IoT industry. As reported at the WIOTC 2024, China is rapidly advancing its IoT standards, and by 2025, China aims to establish over 30 new national and industry IoT standards.

The recently released "Guidelines for the Construction of the Internet of Things Standard System (2024 Edition)" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Standardization Management Committee set a target of formulating more than 30 new national and industry IoT standards and participating in the development of over 10 international standards by 2025. This will accelerate the formation of the standards system that will drive the high-quality development of the IoT industry.

Wen Ku, chairman of the Board of China Communications Standards Association, stressed that China must enhance IoT standardization to develop replicable and scalable practices. To refine IoT standards, China should actively engage in international standardization organizations and promote the global adoption of its IoT standards.

In recent years, countries worldwide have attached great importance to the development of the IoT industry, with governments introducing policies to promote research, development and application. According to the white paper released at the WIOTC 2024, the number of global IoT connections is expected to exceed 25 billion this year.

Nearly 100 countries and regions have established over 400,000 organizations, research institutes and social organizations focusing on the IoT digital economy. Moreover, there are over 1 million industrial application platforms and public service systems.

Investment in the infrastructure for the IoT digital economy accounts for over 60 percent of the total global investment. The global output value of advanced digital economies with full connectivity is projected to surpass $50 trillion by 2030.

(Cover via CFP)