Four senators last week introduced a resolution to encourage research into the Internet of Things and incentivize the deployment of connected devices within the government. The bipartisan group includes Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). According to their statements, released March 4, they submitted the resolution with the goal of promoting economic growth and empowering consumers through the Internet of Things.
"The Internet of Things has unbounded potential to impact our economy, society, and individual well-being,” said Booker. “This resolution underscores our strong commitment to fostering innovation, protecting consumers, and finding solutions to our toughest problems through technology-driven solutions."
The resolution came out of a February Senate Commerce Committee hearing entitled "The Connected World: Examining the Internet of Things." That hearing also was convened by the same four Senators.
A lot of this attention and excitement around the issue of IoT comes from a May 2014 IDC report that projects the industry will generate about $8.9 trillion in global revenues by 2020, and these Senators want U.S. businesses to get a big bite of that pie.
In its mission to set a national commitment to, and strategy for, IoT, the resolution states that because the Internet of Things connects tens of billions of devices and has such potential for future revenue, innovation and logistical simplicity, the U.S. needs to be the world leader in development of smart cities and infrastructure.
"The United States is well positioned to lead the world in innovation policy,” said Fischer. “This forward-thinking initiative would call for a modern framework that encourages innovators. By doing so, we can usher in new ideas and solve problems in the years to come."
To meet those goals, the document makes five resolutions: 1) that the U.S. should develop a national strategy to incentivize the development of the Internet of Things, 2) the U.S. should prioritize accelerating the development and deployment of the Internet of Things , 3) the U.S. should recognize the importance of consensus-based best practices and communication among stakeholders, with the understanding that businesses can play an important role in the future development of the Internet of Things, 4) the government should commit itself to using the Internet of Things to improve its efficiency and effectiveness and cut waste, fraud, and abuse whenever possible, and 5) innovators should commit to using IoT to improve quality of life for future generations by tackling global societal issues. Read the full resolution HERE.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
