Mobile network EE has today unveiled EE Connect (EEC), which the company claims to be the UK’s first 4G-capable dedicated Machine to Machine (M2M) service.
The provider said EEC provides the foundation for businesses and public sector organisations to develop the connected products and services of the future.
M2M customers will also have real time monitoring of all devices, automation to set and edit business rules remotely, and granular reporting for more informed decision-making.
Following analysts’ predictions of 30 billion connected devices by 2020, EE said that EEC has been developed to "provide the platform to ensure that UK businesses are a major part of this booming new ecosystem".
Jason Bellman, director of MVNO and national M2M at EE, told CBR: "EE Connect gives businesses access to the UK’s fastest data speeds meaning that any business case that requires high speed and low latency can utilise this service.
"There is a lot of demand in the marketplace for EE’s 4G capability. In particular the need for businesses to have access to high speed connectivity in challenging environments such as construction sites, or pop up retail outlets where the delay in obtaining fixed line infrastructure can be costly."
Scaling up its network ahead of the IoT spike, EE revealed it expects to double the number of machines communicating to each other over its network to four million by 2017.
Bellman added: "The platform that we’ve launched today will scale to meet the demand we see coming for many years to come. The investment will be in continuing to excel in M2M dedicated service, growing our international footprint, and building our 4G network until it covers 90% of the UK geography."
The 4G-capable M2M service is part of EE’s £1.5 billion investment in its network over the next three years, with a particular focus on rural parts of the UK, according to the provider.
Bellman said: "We are committed to reaching 90% UK geography coverage by the end of 2017, going beyond Government’s request for 90% voice coverage. Our network expansion plans are in place, including use of our low frequency 800MHz spectrum to reach further into rural areas."
Gerry McQuade, CMO at EE Business, said: "Every day, the strength and reliability of our 4G network allows businesses to develop innovative connected products and services that improve our lives – whether it’s telematics in cars that help improve driving and road safety, healthcare applications that drastically cut testing and diagnosis times, or connected infrastructure that creates smarter and more efficient public services."
