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An IoT device is anything with a sensor, a connection and enough intelligence to relay data, without the need for human intervention, wherever they are in the world.
This is the key principle behind IoT devices.
Once you know what to look for, you'll soon see that Internet of Things examples are everywhere, from a sensor that takes a single reading, to a fleet that needs to stay in contact and stream continuously. Each of the solutions depends on the same thing to work.
A connection. One that doesn't drop.
What Are the Main Types of IoT Connectivity?
IoT connectivity solutions are typically classified based on the technology used.
Each offers unique benefits and will best suit a specific industry and use case.
The most common types include:
Wired connections
Fibre optic and copper are both examples of wired connections. They offer stable, high-speed connections that are often the best solutions for fixed locations or applications that require a constant data flow. They could be suited to industrial applications.
Wireless connections
Technologies that operate wirelessly include:
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- Mesh protocols
- Multi-Network SIMs
- Cellular networks such as 4G and 5G
Wireless solutions offer more flexibility than wired connections and are most often used for mobile and distributed IoT services. Technologies such as open, low-power, wide-area networking (LoRaWAN) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) are ideal for connecting remote sensors over long distances.
Cellular networks
Remote sensors or industrial machines often benefit from cellular networks that offer wide-area coverage. Cellular connectivity includes NB-IoT and LTE-M.
Internet of Things Examples from The Industries We Keep Connected
1. Security
Security and surveillance often depend on devices that can see, sense and report without any manual intervention. They're often required to work away in the background, providing valuable insight and alerting to unseen threats.
Security IoT includes:
- Wireless CCTV cameras
- Body cameras
- Alarm panels
- Access control systems
Connectivity turns a camera from something that records locally, to a live feed that can be viewed in real time from anywhere in the world. When it comes to security, you can't leave anything to chance, which is why it's so important to have a signal that doesn't depend on a single network.
See how Cellhire connects security and CCTV deployments.
2. Fleet Operations and Logistics
With the right hardware and connectivity solutions, every vehicle in your fleet and every shipment on the road can become a live data source.
Fleet operations and logistics IoT includes:
- Telematics boxes
- Dashcams
- Asset trackers
- Cold-chain sensors
IoT gives you access to fleet data as it's happening, rather than something you find out about after the fact, so problems can be caught before they escalate.
Vehicles tend to cross coverage areas constantly, sometimes across borders, making multi-network roaming, or an unsteered SIM, essential, keeping the data flowing wherever the fleet goes.
See how Cellhire connects fleet and asset tracking.
3. Maritime
Many vessels spend a lot of their working life outside normal mobile coverage. Maritime connectivity presents a huge challenge, more so than almost any other sector.
Maritime IoT includes:
- Vessel trackers
- Port equipment
- Crew communication devices
IoT lets operators track a vessel and stay in contact, long after it's left the port. Safety at sea is so important, which is why we remove connectivity anxiety, covering the cellular side near the coast and in port, while our satellite connectivity covers everything beyond it.
4. Healthcare
Healthcare devices can let healthcare professionals, clinicians and carers get updates on patients and monitor their progress without being in the room. It also allows healthcare professionals who move between sites to stay connected throughout their day.
Healthcare IoT:
- Blood pressure monitors
- Glucose monitors
- Telecare pendants
- Wearable health monitors
IoT extends care beyond the hospital and into a patient's own home, often replacing time consuming scheduled visits with a continuous stream of readings. A single dropped connection in a patient's home can mean a missed reading, so multi-network SIMs matter here more than almost anywhere else.
5. Utilities and Smart Metering
Smart meters and solar monitoring sensors report usage and output automatically; this is perfect for remote or hard-to-reach sites, where visits are infrequent.
They can stay connected for years with minimal maintenance or human intervention. A reliable, low-touch SIM keeps everything running smoothly across a long-life deployment.
Utilities and smart meters that are often unstaffed or remote include:
- Smart electricity meters
- Smart water meters
- Solar monitoring sensors
IoT connectivity lets you read and monitor equipment remotely instead of sending someone out to check it.
Cellhire's IoT connectivity is built for exactly this kind of long-life deployment.
6. Retail
The retail industry also has an increasing need for IoT connectivity. Connected devices need to understand stock and serve customers in real time.
Retail connectivity includes:
- Shelf-mounted stock sensors
- Digital signage and digital advertising
- Connected payment terminals
IoT closes the information gap between what people think is on the shelf and what is there and available for purchase. It also keeps payment methods online and available. A dropped connection at the till means more than an inconvenience; it's a lost sale.
See how Cellhire connects retail deployments.
7. Agriculture
Farms cover a lot of ground that fixed broadband simply cannot reach. This makes cellular connectivity the most suitable option.
Agriculture IoT includes:
- Soil moisture sensors
- Livestock trackers
- Smart irrigation systems
IoT replaces the guesswork with reassurance, with live data on soil, animal well-being, water use and much more across acres and acres of land: land that is often too remote or widespread for fibre or Wi-Fi connectivity.
Cellhire's IoT connectivity supports this kind of rural, remote deployment.
8. Industrial and Manufacturing
Industrial IoT, otherwise known as IIoT, is a vital part of the industry, and can often be what most people think of when they imagine IoT applications in action.
Industrial and manufacturing IoT devices include:
- Production line sensors
- Predictive maintenance monitors
- Asset trackers
IoT within the industrial and manufacturing sectors can catch a failing part before it causes any downtime, rather than after the fact, when you've already lost money and time. These devices typically run continuously and can't tolerate downtime, so a resilient connection needs to be considered as part of your setup, not an add-on. Certainly not an afterthought.
Read our industrial IoT guide to see how Cellhire connects industrial deployments.
9. Smart Cities
These days, every city is a smart city, with thousands of small devices reporting back constantly, monitoring and keeping everything moving.
Smart city IoT uses include:
- Traffic sensors
- Smart streetlights
- Waste-level sensors
IoT lets councils and operators see and respond to what's happening across a city, big or small, in real time. Rather than waiting for a resident to report an issue, they can already fix it. These deployments are often spread across an entire city, so coverage that doesn't depend on one network matters at scale.
Cellhire's multi-network SIMs are built for deployments this size.
Your Connectivity Options
Different industries lean on different connectivity devices. Here's a quick look guide to where our Cellhire connectivity solutions fit best:
Multi-network SIMs: automatically connect to the strongest of the UK's four largest networks, so a device never depends on one carrier. Best for security, fleet and logistics, healthcare and smart cities, or anywhere a device can't afford to go offline.
eSIM: an eSIM is a great way to switch a plan remotely, without swapping a physical SIM. Best for healthcare (community and home care teams), fleet and logistics, and manufacturers building connectivity into a product at the factory.
Fixed IP SIMs: give a device a permanent, static IP address so you can connect to it directly rather than waiting for it to call in. Best for security (remote access to cameras and NVRs), utilities (remote access to meters and grid equipment) and retail (POS terminals).
SIM and router bundles: hardware and connectivity in one with a sim and router bundle, for sites that don't already have a router in place. Best for retail, industrial and agriculture, or anywhere you're starting from scratch.
SIM management portal: one place to provision, monitor and manage every SIM, rather than handling them one by one. A sim management portal is ideal for fleet and logistics, industrial, utilities and retail chains, or anywhere you're managing devices at scale.
Explore Cellhire's IoT connectivity solutions to compare them side by side.
The Thread Connecting Every IoT Device Example
When it comes to IoT, every device is solving a problem. Yet all devices share the same weak point. Connectivity. A sensor without a signal is nothing more than an expensive non-functioning asset.
That's why connectivity cannot be an afterthought.
It should be the first thing good IoT device design accounts for. No matter your sector, our IoT SIM cards and multi-network SIMs sit behind examples across every industry. We understand that no matter what industry you're in, you need to deliver the best and most reliable solutions to your clients.
If you want to see how we could handle your devices, order a free trial and test it for yourself. We're confident we can offer unmatched resilience, security and coverage.
You'll receive two IoT SIM cards, each loaded with 1 GB of data, plus complete access to our market-leading SIM Management portal.
