The 3GPP has raised the need to revisit the design of next generations of cellular networks in order to make them capable and efficient to provide M2M services. One of the key challenges that has been identified is the need to enhance the operation of the random access channel of LTE and LTE-A. The current mechanism to request access to the system is known to suffer from congestion and overloading in the presence of a huge number of devices. For this reason, different research groups around the globe are working towards the design of more efficient ways of managing the access to these networks in such circumstances. This paper aims to provide a survey of the alternatives that have been proposed over the last years to improve the operation of the random access channel of LTE and LTE-A. A comprehensive discussion of the different alternatives is provided, identifying strengths and weaknesses of each one of them, while drawing future trends to steer the efforts over the same shooting line. In addition, while existing literature has been focused on the performance in terms of delay, the energy efficiency of the access mechanism of LTE will play a key role in the deployment of M2M networks. For this reason, a comprehensive performance evaluation of the energy efficiency of the random access mechanism of LTE is provided in this paper. The aim of this computer-based simulation study is to set a baseline performance upon which new and more energy-efficient mechanisms can be designed in the near future.

In this paper, we propose a solution to efficiently handle the initial access contention for highly dense LTE networks, which still represents a challenge in terms of the high number of devices associated to Machine Type Communications. The analysis is based on the fact that, as the radius of a LTE cell is larger, the number of available preambles generated from a single root sequence is reduced. The current access mechanism, based on frame-slotted ALOHA, does not operate efficiently under these conditions, negatively affecting the access delay and collision probability. We show how the access procedure can be improved by implementing tree-splitting algorithms in order to cope with high number of simultaneous arrivals in large cells, above 5 km in radius. The implementation achieves as much as 85% reduction on the access delay and 54% reduction on energy consumption for cells with radius larger than 39 km.

The vision of the Internet of Things (IoT) to interconnect and Internet-connect everyday people, objects, and machines poses new challenges in the design of wireless communication networks. The design of medium access control (MAC) protocols has been traditionally an intense area of research due to their high impact on the overall performance of wireless communications. The majority of research activities in this field deal with different variations of protocols somehow based on ALOHA, either with or without listen before talk, i.e., carrier sensing multiple access. These protocols operate well under low traffic loads and low number of simultaneous devices. However, they suffer from congestion as the traffic load and the number of devices increase. For this reason, unless revisited, the MAC layer can become a bottleneck for the success of the IoT. In this paper, we provide an overview of the existing MAC solutions for the IoT, describing current limitations and envisioned challenges for the near future. Motivated by those, we identify a family of simple algorithms based on distributed queueing (DQ), which can operate for an infinite number of devices generating any traffic load and pattern. A description of the DQ mechanism is provided and most relevant existing studies of DQ applied in different scenarios are described in this paper. In addition, we provide a novel performance evaluation of DQ when applied for the IoT. Finally, a description of the very first demo of DQ for its use in the IoT is also included in this paper.

Services based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) communications are actively being proposed for several industries. A lot of initiatives are presented for smart cities, smart homes and smart energy systems. But even with advances in new technology and substantial amount of research funding, most of these services are not deployed on a large scale. Innovation is not needed only for the technical solutions but also for the business models and how actors cooperate.In this paper, a number of projects on smart cities, smart homes and energy systems are presented and compared with some successful cases where new IoT and M2M concepts have been applied. Also, an analysis in presented for the benefits and values that can be identified for different IoT services, including cost saving in service provisioning and ease of use for end-users. It is also studied how drivers, such as improvement in resource utilization, are often hampered by the unwillingness of traditional actors to share a service platform, afraid of losing control over their customers.Examples show how the business models changed or need to be changed. The co-existence of services from parallel sectors and within the same sector is studied in this paper and further compared with a case of competing solutions for the same service (mobile parking). The application of new technology entails changes in the organization of actors; this paper reveals the decreased relevance of some traditional actors, like communication providers, in the service delivery when IoT and M2M solutions are adopted.

Smart and connected devices can improve industrial processes, and generate new and better services. While this premise is well understood within the ICT industry, there is a challenge in extending this knowledge to vertical industries. The potential of the Internet of Things lies in the interaction among industries working together toward value co-creation. Firms need to look beyond their internal business models and explore cooperative perspectives to define new business opportunities. In this article, we look into the relevance of vertical cooperation in the area of IoT and highlight the need to develop new value networks that leverage this cooperation and enable the creation of new business models. To lead our discussions, we use the examples of two major building blocks of smart cities: intelligent transport systems and health and well being services based on connected devices and solutions.

PURPOSE: To review how public and private organizations innovate at the convergence of the ICT and the healthcare industries with services based on connected devices in Sweden.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Country case study, using aggregation of primary and secondary data about challenges associated to the adoption of new solutions in the public health and social care systems; taking a business ecosystem approach.

FINDINGS: There are four key challenges affecting innovation based on connected devices and distinctive development patterns of services based on connected devices. For each development pattern, the paper identifies different ways to handle the existing challenges, and it is followed by different types of actors in the business ecosystem.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The key contribution of this study is to show how innovative initiatives are addressing the existing challenges by following one of the three distinctive development patterns in Sweden—the public sector, the private sector, or the wellbeing sector.

In this multiple case study we analyze solutions based on connected devices in the context of health, social care and wellbeing. Based on the consideration that a solution is a combination of services and products, we build on the notion that business models can be studied at a firm- and a network-level. These two levels are used to motivate the reasons why solutions emerging at the intersection of the healthcare and the ICT industries benefit from collaboration among different actors. We conclude that the firm- and the network-level development of business models provide alignment in the business network and are useful to establish the relation that technological component have with overall solutions. Our findings suggest that some component bring novelty in the final offer with affecting the ongoing operation, while other component aim at improving the internal working processes, with minimal effects on the final offer to end users. We discuss the benefits of a network-level perspective for each case.