Machine to machine (M2M) communications infrastructure is evolving to support the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). While it is agreed that wireless is essential for the IoT, there is debate on how the IoT will be best accommodated – whether this is best achieved by reusing existing wireless networks and technologies or by establishing new networks and technologies dedicated to the IoT.
The utilization of existing cellular networks and Wifi platforms reduces the investment needed for the IoT. One of the main drivers for M2M is the widely deployed wireless communications infrastructure supported by declining data costs and availability of connected low-cost devices. Mobile operators are preparing for the opportunity of IoT and the revenue derived from the growth in M2M communications. Expanding their approach to M2M, mobile operators are value adding by offering end-to-end solutions for key applications in target markets. Wifi is also being used to support a range of M2M applications in healthcare, logistics and manufacturing industries.
Revenue models for traditional cellular networks are based on the high bandwidth demands of many cellular data applications and real-time connectivity required for mobile voice and video services. These revenue models will require radical revision or a new approach to accommodate the low bit rates and periodic short bursts of data adequate for many M2M uses.
New cellular networks are being promoted to support the IoT and offer low cost entry with cheap data rates and low cost hardware for high volume, low bandwidth data throughput. Other capabilities offered such as long range and long battery life further improve the feasibility of M2M/IoT. An example of a new cellular network being promoted is SigFox (Fr.), which offers a service dedicated to low throughput M2M/IoT applications with a $3 yearly data rate. Another example is the Weightless (U.S.) SIG which is developing a wireless radio standard using TV white spaces spectrum that is ideal for IoT with low cost data and long range capabilities of up to 10km.
Helping the future development of the IoT is the use of harmonized, licence-free spectrum for short range devices in keeping down the costs of M2M communications. Use of the vacant portions of spectrum between TV channels meets the main spectrum requirements for the IoT – low cost, sub-1GHz frequencies, global harmonization and enough bandwidth to support billions of machine devices.
The ultimate vision of the IoT is all-IP M2M networking, achievable using mesh networks. Some RF mesh networks already take advantage of IPv6, the latest version of the IP protocol. Ultimately, meshed M2M networks for M2M applications could become fully integrated into existing cellular networks bringing the scalability of cellular to very cost-sensitive narrowband applications.
Even when successfully addressing the primarily cost-conscious requirements of much of the potential for the IoT, it is debatable whether the existing communication platforms can entirely meet the diverse demands of a myriad of IoT applications. Many M2M applications have different needs and new networks and new technologies are being developed to meet these needs and to reap a share of the revenue that billions of connected devices is expected to generate. The evolution of the infrastructure of M2M communications to support the IoT is in its infancy – stay tuned.
Privacy Overview
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1. Privacy Policy Statement
M2M Connectivity is committed to protecting your privacy, keeping your information safe and ensuring the security of your data. This policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information. This extends to both our control and processing of personal information.
We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). The National Privacy Principles (NPPs) govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose your Personal Information.
The current policy will be in effect from 1 July 2020. We may need to update it over time but if we do, the updated version will be published.
2. What information we collect and control
The types of information we collect depends on how you use our products and services as well as the relationship we have with you as a customer. It may include information like your name, date of birth, contact details (including address, email address, phone number or mobile telephone number), bank account and credit card details, information to prove your identity (driver’s license or another approved ID), account username or password and your use of our products and services.
We may also collect more in-depth information including:
- Financial and Credit information related to your financial relationship with us, such as your financial details, payment history, credit history, and your service history.
- Information about your products and services including device-specific information such as your hardware model, operating system version, unique device and service identifiers, device status, serial numbers, settings, configuration and software and mobile network information.
- Information about how you use your products and services such as:
- Your network usage including time and duration of your communications as well as information about the operation of the equipment, services and applications you use on our networks .
- How you use our services to access the internet, such as the location of your devices when you are using our products and services.
- Information that allows us to identify you for verification purposes.
- Technical Information about your products and services including details about our network performance including information about how you use our networks.
Some of the information collected may be sensitive information. If we need this type of information, we’ll ask you for information in accordance with applicable law.
You might also need to provide personal information about other individuals to us (e.g. about your authorised representative). If so, we rely on you to have informed those individuals that you are giving their personal information to us and to have advised them about this statement. It is important to be aware that if you access another party’s website or application using one of our products, that other party will deal with your personal information in accordance with its own privacy policy.
3. How do we collect your information
We collect personal information in the following ways:
We collect information directly from you when you:
- Or your representative interacts with either us or one of our trusted partners. This might happen when you are setting up an account with us or using one of our products or services;
- Order and/or register for a product or a service;
- Interact with technical support and sales teams;
- Use our website or social media sites;
- Share information with us via forms, for example when you register for our trainings, events and newsletters.
- Apply for a job with us.
We may also collect information about you:
- From external sources like credit reports and marketing mailing lists;
- Commercially available information. This can also include information gained from our partners, these partners include our business and commercial partners, and other affiliates;
4. How do we store your information
We take all reasonable steps to securely store your information using a combination of technical solutions, security controls and internal processes to protect information and our network from unauthorised use, modification, access and disclosure.
We may store your information in hard copy or electronic format and keep it in storage facilities that we own and operate ourselves.
We endeavour to ensure that information is kept as current as possible and that irrelevant data is deleted or made anonymous as soon as reasonably practicable. However, some information may be retained for varying time periods in order to comply with legal and regulatory obligations and for other legitimate business reasons.
5. How do we use your information
We may use your personal information in the ways as outlined below:
- To help us properly manage the products and services we provide to you. We also use your information for charging and billing and to identify potential breaches of our terms and conditions of service.
- Communicate with you in order to provide you with our products, upgrades and services via email, SMS and social media.
- Processing orders and applications and to enroll you as our customer.
- Verifying identity, carrying out credit checks and reporting.
- Generating bills, managing account, and carrying out debt-recovery.
- Development of our products and services.
- Communicate to you about all our products, services and offers that are relevant and are of interest to you. We may use the information we hold to market and promote them directly to you.
- Identifying your location so we can send you emergency alerts.
- Protecting our network and managing the data use and other uses of our network.
- Training our staff.
6. When do we share your information
We do not sell any information. We may share your information with other parties who provide services to us, including partners and contractors that assist us with providing our business processes and products and services. These services include:
- Providing, managing or administering your product or service including customer enquiries and support services.
- Installation, maintenance and repair services.
- Mailing operations, billing and debt-recovery functions.
- Information technology and network services.
- Development, analysis and business intelligence functions.
- Your authorised representatives or legal advisers
- Third parties when you ask us to do so or when you consent to that disclosure for the purposes of preventing or investigation fraud, crime or misconduct relating to your account or services.
- Credit providers or credit-reporting agencies for identity checking and credit related purposes such as credit-worthiness, credit rating, default listing, credit provision and financing under privacy act and credit reporting legislation.
- Our dealers, business or commercial partners, legal advisers and other businesses we work with
- The manager of the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND), and other organisations as required or authorised by law (please see www.acma.gov.au for more information)
- Law enforcement and national security agencies, and other government and regulatory authorities as required or authorised by law
- For the purposes of facilitating or implementing a transfer/ sale of all or part of our assets or business.
7. How can you access or correct your information
To ensure that we are able to provide you with the best products and services possible, it’s important that you make sure the information we hold about you is accurate, up-to-date and complete. If any of your details change you may contact us using the contact details below. You also have the right to request a copy of your information that we hold about you. There is no charge to submit a request or to correct information, however we may apply an administrative charge for providing access to your information on request. To make this request email us at privacy@m2mconnectivity.com.au
8. How can you make a privacy complaint
You can also use our contact details to notify us of any privacy complaint you have against us. If you believe your privacy has been compromised, please contact us. We are committed to acknowledging your complaint in a prompt manner and will give you an estimated timeframe on the response to the complaint.
While we hope that we will be able to resolve any complaints you may have without needing to involve third parties, you may also be able to lodge a complaint with a relevant regulator such as the Australian Information Commissioner or the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
9. How can you contact us
If you have any questions in relation to this Privacy Statement, our management of your information or you would like a copy of this statement sent to you, please call us on (03) 9696 3011 or email us at privacy@m2mconnectivity.com.au. The office hours are Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm EST. You can also download a pdf copy of this statement on our website, at www.m2mconnectivity.com.au/privacy-statement
Contact Details:
EMAIL: privacy@m2mconnectivity.com.au
PHONE: +61 3 8378 2650
M2M devices are like toys. The better they are, more they are used. The more they are used, the more data throughput is necessary. The more data is needed, the bigger bandwidth is necessary. As of today, the M2M model is a low-consumption one. However, five years from now, this may change, like the DSL changed the modem-based internet access.
Even if today M2M devices use the mobile networks, I think they will switch to wire connections, because of many factors, like speed, security, radio spectrum pollution, and so on.
Bigger bandwidth for high throughput data will continue to be a necessary feature of M2M devices in the future. Consider though, that the IoT landscape of the future will consist of diverse demands of many applications, all with different needs. In this context, a good many of these applications will only require low bandwidth data throughput suitable for low bit rate and periodic transfers of data. There will be a place for cost effective low energy, local area applications in the IoT.
Wireless is perceived as essential for IoT because of the impracticalities and expense of hard wiring the many billions of objects connected in the future. Some applications are expected to rely on fixed network connectivity all the way to the device end point e.g. some smart grid applications – the monitoring of power generation plants demanding high network availability.
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