Big data, IoT and 5G were three of the highlighted technologies at Broadband Deluxe, presented by Team Lightbulb at International CES2017. John Abel of Team Lightbulb discusses how these different, but complementary, technologies are going to play a huge role in creating an intelligent transportation system. Abel points out, that, with mesh configurations the cars could be part of the network itself and overall ITS will drive massive amounts of bandwidth demands.

This is borne out in a recent report from Ark Invest citing the impact of autonomous and connected vehicles to the overall economy, as well as various sectors, such as telecom.

“ARK expects autonomous taxi networks to have a profound impact on the telecom industry. Streaming and social media services could cause a massive increase in data usage. The $5.6 trillion global telecom market could double over the next 10-15 years if those services were to use cellular spectrum. In all likelihood, however, the cellular operators will likely share the economics with autonomous service providers and mobile device manufacturers offering preloaded media content to passengers. “

Another bandwidth driver is the distribution of intelligence on the network edge, whether as retrofits to existing dumb items (e.g., a sewer pipe) or devices, such as wearables, with built-in intelligence and connectivity. Abel explains some of the specific wearable technologies he is tracking. The above video also shows glimpses of some of the other ViodiTV CES2017 interviews, such as a stick-on Electrocardiogram, that will be driving the demand for broadband.

Stay tuned for more CES2017 coverage.