Internet of Things in Telecommunications: From the Perspective of an Emerging Market

This paper presents an exploratory case study of the Internet of things in telecommunications to analyze IoT technology in the telecom sector. It examines the IoT value in telecom and discusses the role of telecom operators across the value chain. It also presents a case analysis of IoT adoption in an emerging market of Pakistan to explore the IoT landscape in Pakistan and analyzes the IoT market positioning among telecom operators. It presents the business models and strategies which the telecom operators are following and analyzes the cost and benefits of IoT technology. It also discusses the IoT challenges faced by telecom operators during the adoption of IoT. In an emerging country like Pakistan, telecoms are adopting Internet of things technology, a novel, and real-time phenomenon. They are considering IoT technology as a new business opportunity in emerging markets, with the potential to be utilized as a new source of revenue. Telecoms are focusing on testing their roles in different areas of the IoT value chain. Their primary focus still remains basic connectivity which is evolved into smart connectivity. Telecoms are embracing their resources and capabilities across the IoT value chain, from connectivity to partnership, with innovative, value-added services. They are moving up to the IoT value chain by evolving further as an enabler for devices and enterprise-to-enterprise (E2E) solutions. They are developing partnerships with enterprises for providing various applications, service delivery, and system integration.