Singapore telcos to cash in on NB-IoT network

Overall IoT revenue of the country could hit $714m in 2025.

As Singapore's Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to hit a revenue of $754m by 2025, Singapore telcos are starting to see an opportunity.

According to RHB, M1 was the first in Southeast Asia to roll out its narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network. Singtel and StarHub are believed to follow suit.

To recall, M1 said it is collaborating with Keppel Electric on an energy management meter, which allows consumers to track energy usage and manage their electricity usage more prudently. The partnership comes ahead of the full liberalisation of the electricity market, which is slated for 2018.

RHB analysts said small cell network acts as a building block for an extensive array of sensors to be installed under the Smart Nation initiative.

"We expect IoT solutions to catalyse fresh revenue opportunities for telcos in the medium to longer-term – especially in the areas of waste and energy management, autonomous vehicles, fleet management and asset tracking, amongst others," RHB said.