Why are some countries adopting the Internet of Things (IoT) faster than others?
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South Korea leads, UK lags
According to research done by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Internet of Things (IoT) is being adopted at varying rates by different countries
Source: Shodan/OECD
Ahead of the pack we find South Korea, Denmark and Switzerland. But the UK is lagging far behind.
Why is this?
The internet’s own geography
The Internet of Things (IoT) means connecting many of our electronic devices to the internet in order to gather data and smartly manage the way these devices operate.
The adoption of IoT will depend on a country’s or a region’s already existing internet infrastructure – the geography of the internet in that particular place.
And even if the internet is dispersing quickly, the overall worldwide internet-geography is an unequal development story.
According to media scholar Manuel Castells, South Korea has been a leader in hyper-speed internet-connections for well over a decade.
Countries like Denmark and Switzerland are some of the richest and most homogenous societies in the world, with clear official policies for fast digital adoption and development.
In comparison, the UK is a heterogeneous, unequally digitally developed country.
A closer look at South Korea
Many have wondered why South Korea have become a leader in internet technology, but few have really come up with one single convincing argument.
According to Andrew Braun at IDG Connect the explanation is a mixture of:
1. Government planning
2. Healthy competition
3. Urban population density
4. Private-sector growth
5. Korean culture
The synergy of these five elements has revealed what Braun calls “a country in the right place, at the right time, with the right mindset.”
But he also argues that “[p]erhaps the thing that sets Korea apart the most, though, is how hard and long they worked to build an excellent system.”
A brand new IoT City
An example of Koreans working hard according to a government plan can be seen in the latest plans to build a brand new trial IoT city in Daegu.
The project is a collaboration between South Korea’s two tech giants SK Telecom Co. and Samsung Electronics Co. in close partnership with local city government.
According to The Korea Bizwire the “project will be focused on setting up IoT-based infrastructure for renewable energy, medical services and smart cars.”
Some preliminary conclusions
The Internet of Things will define our lives in years to come. A world of interconnected, smart objects will surround us and we will hopefully be in control of what they do and how they help us.
To get to a point where a country’s economy is ready to benefit from the IoT, its government will need to develop clear plans for how to develop the necessary infrastructure.
And crucially, its business community will have to realise that the IoT will play a decisive role in all future business decisions. Any product or service in the pipeline will have to be planned with the IoT in mind.
The South Koreans are already living in the future. The UK would do well to take a closer look at what brought them there.
Want to find out more about the internet of things? Make sure you sign up to the DSMLF meeting in April and join your peers for a lively debate on the matter.