WASHINGTON — Nov. 14, 2017 — ATIS today announced publication of a technical report that explores subscriptionless devices and services in service provider networks as well as potential new revenue and billing options these arrangements make possible. With experts predicting that approximately 30 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices will be connected to the Internet or to private network environments by 20201, Subscriptionless Devices and Services addresses a new need inherent in managing this burgeoning traffic. The paper specifically examines how network service providers can take better advantage of the transient revenue opportunities availed by IoT devices and applications while cost-effectively scaling the network to accommodate the potentially large number of IoT devices that require network services.
As IoT traffic grows, these devices will need the ability to clearly assert an identity that can be authenticated by the network and/or application appropriate for that device. Many applications require intermittent connection to their network of choice for occasional data without having to maintain an ongoing subscription. The device model ATIS sets forth can potentially reduce the costs and complexities associated with the billions of subscriptions for devices that attach only occasionally to service provider networks.
“ATIS’ examination of the opportunities inherent in subscriptionless devices applies not only to IoT devices, such as meters and common household applications, but also drones and enterprise services,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. “Our work will contribute to advancing the ‘opening of the network’ to broaden the range of devices, authentication mechanisms and services that are possible.”
With new capabilities that the 5G network makes possible, such as network slicing, some of the subscriptionless models discussed in the paper are more naturally resistant to botnet security-related attacks and can provide an extra measure of security within the IoT context. Although this technical report considers the case for subscriptionless devices, this does not preclude the existence of a subscription with other third-party entities to facilitate proper charging and security for network services.
Access Subscriptionless Devices and Services in the ATIS White Paper Center.
1 IEEE Spectrum. Nordrum, Amy. “Popular Internet of Things Forecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated“. August 18, 2016.
About ATIS
As a leading technology and solutions development organization, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) brings together the top global ICT companies to advance the industry’s most pressing business priorities. ATIS’ 150 member companies are currently working to address 5G, cyber security, IoT, the all-IP transition, network functions virtualization, smart cities, big data analytics, cloud services, device solutions, emergency services, network evolution, quality of service, billing support, operations, and much more. These priorities follow a fast-track development lifecycle – from design and innovation through standards, specifications, requirements, business use cases, software toolkits, open source solutions, and interoperability testing.
ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ATIS is the North American Organizational Partner for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a founding Partner of the oneM2M global initiative, a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as well as a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). For more information, visit www.atis.org.
