• by Chase Martin , November 2, 2016

Mobile is forecast to grow in North America over the next four years and IoT connectivity is likely to play a key role.

This growth will mostly be driven by increased machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity and general digitization of industries and services, according to a new study by GSMA Intelligence.

Almost $1 trillion will be generated by mobile technologies and services in North America in 2020, up from $710 billion last year, according to the study.

“While subscriber and smartphone growth is maturing, North America’s mobile operators are now looking to connect a growing range of other devices, everything from cars to drones, and bringing the Internet of Things to life,” Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer at GSMA, said.

Earlier this year, the number of connected cars entering the market surpassed the number of new smartphones in the U.S. for the first time.

AT&T is the top network for connected cars, with 9 million cars in the U.S. this year. The network supplies connectivity to the systems in many major auto manufacturers in the U.S., including Ford.

These and other M2M connections will double to make up 30% of total cellular connections in the U.S. by 2020, according to GSMA.

Several IoT-specific network standards are being developed to connect more IoT devices without relying on 4G.

For example, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile plan to launch IoT connectivity capabilities that leverage their current networks, but are optimized for the low power and low data size needs of IoT devices.

The number of connections over these IoT networks will top 1 billion by 2020, according to the study.

Major networks are also working with federal and state governments to create smart cities. As part of the Advanced Wireless Research Initiative, the White House plans to invest $400 million in IoT and wireless technologies beginning next year. Part of this initiative involves transforming four cities across the U.S. into connected smart cities.

The first city is Columbus, Ohio, and the U.S. Department of Transportation plans to invest up to $40 million to help the city integrate IoT technologies, like sensors and connected and autonomous vehicles, directly into its infrastructure.

Other cities that plan to pursue IoT integration, with the help of AT&T, include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami-Dade County and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.