By April 29, 2024, all IoT device manufacturers, importers and distributors, including refurbished products, in the U.K. needed to comply with the PSTI 2022. This means that, as a minimum:
- Devices must each come with a unique password. It must not be guessable, discoverable online or based on product information (e.g., serial number) without encryption.
- The duration of the device’s security support is clearly disclosed.
- Consumers can easily report security issues to a point of contact.
As a result of the requirements for passwords, the U.K. has become the first country to formally ban easily-guessable default passwords on devices with internet connectivity.
Increased connectivity from narrowband IoT
Narrowband IoT, or NB-IoT, is a low-power, long-range fixed wireless network that can connect low data demand assets like street lights and underground water sensors. In February 2024, BT launched its NB-IoT network in the U.K., making it the second telecoms operator to do so after Vodafone in 2017. Virgin Media O2 plans to finish its own rollout of a NB-IoT network by the end of the year, while nothing has been announced publicly about Three UK’s since 2019.
BT’s NB-IoT was introduced to help fast-track smart cities in the U.K., as it will enable many processes involving these low data demand assets to be automated, like leak detection, smart lighting and parking monitors. It will also extend the battery life and improve the efficiency of the IoT devices, ultimately reducing costs.
What does this IoT trend mean for U.K. businesses?
U.K. businesses that make use of low-power technologies for applications like environmental monitoring, livestock tracking, gas and water metering and smart alarm systems, especially in remote areas, will reap the benefits of the expansion of NB-IoT networks.
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