Laying down the foundations of a smart nation

With the advent of the IoT, many millions of devices will be connected to the internet. A sensor can measure or communicate almost anything, be placed almost anywhere and connect anything to almost anything else.

Vehicles, wearable devices, home appliances, medical diagnostic devices and billions of other everyday physical objects will soon be collecting and sharing data around the world. Once they are connected to the internet, they can collect information, send and receive it, and act on it.

There are limitless applications for the analysed data, from livestock monitoring and soil management to crime detection, digital health and fleet management. Another example is infrastructure management, with sensors monitoring structural integrity and providing an early warning system for potential and emerging issues.

The possibilities across different geographies and sectors are endless. The IoT presents a significant economic opportunity for Australia. Many hundreds of applications present the opportunity to significantly increase efficiency, enhance sustainability, improve quality, reduce failure and make people safer.

5G will provide the massive capacity and processing capability the nation needs to simultaneously manage many millions of devices at once, enabling a smart nation.