1 research outputs found
Where Things Roam: Uncovering Cellular IoT/M2M Connectivity
Support for things roaming internationally has become critical for Internet
of Things (IoT) verticals, from connected cars to smart meters and wearables,
and explains the commercial success of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) platforms. We
analyze IoT verticals operating with connectivity via IoT SIMs, and present the
first large-scale study of commercially deployed IoT SIMs for energy meters. We
also present the first characterization of an operational M2M platform and the
first analysis of the rather opaque associated ecosystem. For operators, the
exponential growth of IoT has meant increased stress on the infrastructure
shared with traditional roaming traffic. Our analysis quantifies the adoption
of roaming by M2M platforms and the impact they have on the underlying visited
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). To manage the impact of massive deployments of
device operating with an IoT SIM, operators must be able to distinguish between
the latter and traditional inbound roamers. We build a comprehensive dataset
capturing the device population of a large European MNO over three weeks. With
this, we propose and validate a classification approach that can allow
operators to distinguish inbound roaming IoT devices