As various threat vectors begin to coalesce, it’s causing growing concern in a number of communications markets. A new market research report released this month by Markets and Markets points to a surging Internet of Things (IoT) security market as concern grows for protecting utilities, smart grids, and manufacturing facilities. According to the new report, the IoT security market is estimated to grow from USD 7.90 billion in 2016 to USD 36.95 billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 36.1 percent.

Some risks, however, are up to the user to control. A new report from Allot Communications and Kaspersky Labs released in July reveals that sports fans put themselves at greater cyber risk when using mobile apps during major sporting events such as the recent UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament. The report revealed that the risks for digitally active sports fans more than doubled during the 2016 UEFA European Championship. The report also provided insights into how major events impact online behaviors and increase the potential for mobile internet users to fall victim to cyber threats such as malware infection, phishing and ransomware. 

Personal communications safety was also addressed this month by Smith Micro Software, which announced it has acquired iMobileMagic and its comprehensive platform for family locator and parental controls enhancing the company's portfolio with more location-based services and consumer apps. The Portugal-based company offers consumer applications on smartphones, tablets and wearables to ensure the safety and protection of children, elderly, and other family members who require extra care.

The call to end robocalls

The YouMail National Robocall Index released this month reveals that 79 million robocalls were made every day in June, infuriating millions of Americans tired of having their dinners interrupted and highlighting the need for solutions to block this barrage of unwanted calls. U.S. phones were hit by an estimated 2.37 billion robocalls in the month of June, a 4.7% decrease over the total for May and just the second time that the YouMail National Robocall Index has posted a monthly decline since it was launched in September 2015.

As a result, AT&T announced that it would provide customers with robocall-blocking technology, causing FCC chairman Tom Wheeler to release a statement on the progress of this initiative. “I am gratified that AT&T will lead an industry strike force to develop an action plan for providing consumers with robust robocall-blocking solutions,” said Wheeler. “I (have) asked all the major phone companies to develop just such a plan; I strongly urge industry participants to join the effort and to produce conclusions within 60 days.”

The rising 5G tide

The development of next-generation wireless network technology, commonly known as 5G, continues to gather speed. 

 At the Broadband Forum quarterly meeting, held in Berlin, Deutsche Telekom called on Broadband Forum members to support more collaboration among standards bodies and open source communities to achieve complete integration between mobile and fixed networks and maximize 5G potential. Deutsche Telekom's 5G Executive Program Manager, Antje Williams, called for true convergence between fixed and mobile networks so that a seamless experience could be delivered to consumers. According to Williams, access-agnostic networks are a vital component in realizing the full potential of 5G and for this to happen, more collaboration is needed between different standards bodies, including open source communities. 

Samsung Electronics America (SEA), Inc. announced this month that it has signed on to the Advanced Wireless Research Initiative (AWRI) in the U.S. and will contribute expertise in 5G network architecture and mmWave radio access to help accelerate next-generation communications. The company will participate as a board member of AWRI, a public-private partnership spearheaded by the White House to accelerate the development of next generation 5G wireless networks. In conjunction with the initiative’s member companies and more than 400 university researchers, Samsung will contribute its expertise to help lead in the research and testing of next-generation mobile networks.