The exponential growth of IoT devices, estimated to reach a whopping 75 billion by 2025, has initiated a partnership between the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Internet of Things Community.
In a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the two groups will work to disseminate industry-wide knowledge and create uniform standards for the deployment of IoT sensors and devices in smart buildings.
The organizations will host virtual events to educate the broader industry about technological advancements within their respective industries and create an aggregation portal for designers, engineers, and industry professionals to exchange information about IoT and wireless connectivity in smart buildings.
“Harnessing the power of the internet of things is essential for the successful development of smart buildings and eventually smart cities,” said Harry Smeenk, senior vice president of technology programs at TIA.
The portal will include an impact calculator designed to inform building owners and industry professionals about the pros and cons of IoT and in-building connectivity options said Smeenk.
A new rating system for smart buildings
The TIA and IoT Community are also building an assessment tool to measure and rate smart buildings which will be rolled out in the second quarter of this year.
Smeenk said the idea to create a rating tool came from a working group of more than 50 members who identified the need for a universal standard and common language to assess and compare smart buildings.
Unlike existing smart building digital connectivity scoring tools, the new tool will be a comprehensive rating system similar to LEED certification.
“While existing digital connectivity scoring providers like WiredScore use TIA standard 942 to measure their scoring of wired capability, they are focused on just one aspect. The smart building scoring tool will measure more than 10 attributes,” Smeenk said.
The scoring tool will assess the entire building from its pipe to broadband capability including features such as interoperability with 26 wireless technologies, both physical and cyber security attributes, and rate the quality of experience by tenants and visitors among features.
The groups expect the rating tool to become a means of the increasing value of smart buildings based on technological capabilities.
“The smart building rating system will enable building owners to leverage technological assets in their buildings to demand a higher price per square foot and directly impact their ROI,” said Smeenk.
5G deployment in smart buildings
TIA’s smart building program, launched 18 months ago, is also working to disseminate knowledge about imminent issues related to the deployment of 5G such as network service assurance, best practices for managing the decreased penetration of cellular 5G signals in buildings and the deployment of FirstNet – the first nationwide public safety wireless network designed to equip first responders with advanced communication in emergency situations.
TIA, which developed the current standard for data centers TIA 942, is also working to create a new standard for edge data centers which moves computing and storage closer to the edge or the user, Smeenk said.