Consumers International, Carnegie Mellon University, Zigbee Alliance, UL, Arcelik and Libelium are launching a global coalition Thursday to “improve the trustworthiness of consumer IoT devices and help consumers better understand the benefits and risks associated with these products,” said the World Economic Forum Wednesday. It cited the need for stronger security and privacy in the IoT as connected devices proliferate and for technologies to “become a force for shared societal benefit.” The organizations will focus on building consensus on device safeguards and standards for connected CE devices, such as voice assistants, security cameras and wearable technologies, it said. Work will be complemented by an emerging partnership with Helpful Places, Digital Public Square and Boston, which are working to increase transparency and signage for the use of digital technologies in public spaces, it said. Brazil, Colombia, Kazakhstan, South Africa and Turkey are working together to help build the technological capability of small and medium-sized enterprises with an aim to support more than 5,000 companies within three years. Thirty-six cities, including Buenos Aires, Istanbul, London and Mexico City, will pioneer a global policy road map for responsible and ethical use of connected technologies as part of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliances, including the launch of privacy, security and digital infrastructure policies. “With the emergence of 5G and IoT, we are on the cusp of unleashing the power of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and enabling the digital transformation of industries around the world,” said Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon, co-chair, Global IoT Council. “COVID-19 has accelerated digitalization at all levels in our society,” but to make technology accessible, it’s necessary “to ensure inclusive and understandable privacy at all levels, making sure that nobody is left behind,” said Alicia Asin, CEO of Libelium.

The FCC cleared the first device authorized to use the 6 GHz band, allocated in April for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use (see 2004230059), approving Broadcom's BCM4389 chip. “The Commission cleared the way for such advances with its landmark action earlier this year, making up to 1,200 megahertz of spectrum available for higher powered unlicensed use,” said Chairman Ajit Pai: “Today, we are starting to see the fruits of this work, and consumers will now start to benefit in a big way.” Vijay Nagarajan, Broadcom vice president-Mobile Connectivity Division, said it's a “red-letter day” for Wi-Fi. “We've shipped 100s of millions [of] Wi-Fi 6 devices,” he said: “We look to capitalize on this install-base of devices while also heralding the Wi-Fi Space Age with 6 GHz support.” The chip uses 6025-6985 MHz. “This module may only be marketed and sold to an OEM system integrator that has an agreement with the grantee and has been provided detailed instructions on installation conditions to ensure that the correct firmware is installed,” the authorization states: “Host systems must be intended for indoor use only, outdoor applications are NOT allowed.” Consumers are likely to have 6 GHz devices “in the first half of 2021,” Nagarajan emailed.

E Ink is partnering with Yes Optoelectronics to develop and manufacture ePaper modules for electronic shelf and smart labels, smart home, wearables and other IoT applications, it said Monday. The demand for electronic shelf labels has been growing “exponentially,” said E Ink CEO Johnson Lee: The partnership with Yes lets E Ink “extend the ePaper industrial supply chain.”

Dialog Semiconductor’s new SmartServer IoT partner program gives system integrators and OEM solutions providers access to the chip company’s IoT edge server and open software suite, including integration tools and application programming interfaces, certified training and support, it said Tuesday. The goal is to accelerate secure, scalable integration of IoT edge devices and networks with cloud platforms and operational technologies found in smart factories, buildings and cities. To gain the benefit of artificial intelligence-based data at the edge and in the cloud, data from legacy operational systems needs to interoperate with edge and cloud computing technologies, said Mark Tyndall, general manager of Dialog’s IoT business group. SmartServer IoT creates a “data fabric” that connects systems, he said.

Smallsat IoT constellations are on cusp of becoming revenue generators, and their potential is growing due to changes in technology infrastructure, application targets and COVID-19, Northern Sky Research analyst Alan Crisp blogged Tuesday: The pandemic's effect on the economy created a funding crunch that killed some planned smallsat IoT constellations, but those that remain will face less competition, he said.

Eighty percent of the global industrial IoT market, worth $216 billion, will be attributable to software spending by 2025, emailed Juniper Monday. IIoT connections will rise from 17.7 billion this year to 36.8 billion, led by 22 billion smart manufacturing connections, said the research firm. 5G networks will be key to growth, used to transmit large volumes of data in areas with high connection density. 5G and low-power wide-area networks will help enable the smart factory concept, in which real-time data transmission and high connection densities allow autonomous operations for manufacturers, it said.

Shading motor company Somfy integrated with Igor’s IoT platform to create automated shading systems for smart buildings, it emailed Monday. The partnership is designed to make it easier for architects, designers and building owners to connect and control natural and manufactured lighting, said Somfy. Igor's Nexos IoT platform enables communication among smart shades, HVAC controls, low-voltage lighting and occupancy sensors. Automated shading enables buildings to rely on natural light, allowing them to cut back on cooling and lighting costs. Shades on a sunny part of a building can be scheduled to lower during the hottest part of the day, triggering lights to brighten, and reducing demand on an HVAC system, it said. Somfy announced a similar deal with Enlighted last week.

Myriota asked the FCC International Bureau for a blanket license to operate up to a million IoT terminals to communicate with its non-voice non-geostationary mobile satellite service system. Friday's application said the UHF-band battery-powered terminals are aimed at such applications as environmental resource monitoring, equipment tracking and preventative maintenance, asset tracking and infrastructure management.

Fifty-six of 90 agencies use IoT technology, but some don’t because of cybersecurity concerns and lack of return on investment, GAO reported Monday. Forty-two use it to control or monitor equipment and systems. Nearly 40 said they use it to control devices and facilities, and 28 to track physical assets.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver for CommScope to use a single label to designate its PSR 700/800 signal booster as a “Class A and Class B” industrial signal booster. “Granting this request will advance the Commission’s goals of ensuring that providers have access to a wide array of signal boosters necessary to address coverage issues, while maximizing proper operation of these devices,” said Friday's letter-order.