Cheaper technologies and greater processing power are enabling opportunities in connectivity.
Companies already investing in
this opportunity
opportunities in the future of connectivity to 2030.
The future of connectivity is an umbrella term for a range of interrelated sectors which include global telecoms services, cloud storage and smart homes, among others.
Connecting devices can increase functionality and personalisation. Smart homes, which are a network of home devices and appliances, can connect to smartwatches, for example, allowing the automatic adjustment of temperature or lights, depending on where the wearer is located. One of the best known examples of this enabling technology and increasing connectedness is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT allows computing devices to be interconnected via the internet, enabling them to send and receive data.
Improved processing power, reduced costs of home electronics, better internet connectivity and cheaper and more ubiquitous miniaturised sensors, are all enabling technological developments in the connectivity sector. Companies are increasingly seeing opportunities to improve existing offerings, enter new markets and launch new products and services.
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Widespread 5G rollout combined with edge and cloud computing will revolutionise the mobility sector in particular. For example, 5G towers will handle complex data analysis of computer vision for autonomous cars, while the remaining non-time critical calculations are performed in the cloud. In this way, 5G will remove the need for large computing power in autonomous vehicles.
One of the biggest growth areas in the future of connectivity in percentage terms is the neuromorphic computing sector. Neuromorphic computing is inspired by the workings of the human brain and compared with first-generation artificial intelligence (AI), neuromorphic computing allows for more autonomous AI learning and decision-making. Rather than simply looking for patterns, neuromorphic computing systems will be able to apply common sense and context to what they are reading. Interest in this area has fueled investment in non-binary data storage. HP is developing a solid-state memory resistor (memristor) device, a non-binary, neuromorphic and non-volatile data storage system, which could retain memory without power, for example.
