LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 MIDDLE EAST: Operators from around the world, together with the GSMA, agreed on guidelines about the best way to connect devices and applications to mobile networks to support the development of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Best practices in the ‘IoT Device Connections Efficiency Guidelines’ report include data aggregation within devices, non-synchronous network access, application scalability, and guidance on how to manage signaling traffic from deactivated SIMs.

The guidelines are aimed at preventing service outages and ensure optimal performance as the number of devices connecting to mobile networks grows, enabling the market to scale across sectors such as automotive, transportation, utilities and health.

The operators backing the report are AT&T, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, KT, Orange, NTT Docomo, Tata Teleservices, Telefonica, Telenor and VimpelCom. IoT specialists Sierra Wireless and Jasper Wireless have also given their support.

Alex Sinclair, chief technology officer of the GSMA, said it is “imperative” that the IoT market develops with the right standards and best practices to ensure that undue pressure is not placed on mobile networks.

He added that the guidelines ensure device and application makers can follow “a common approach to create efficient, reliable services that can scale as the market grows”.

The GSMA is also developing a common set of acceptance tests for IoT devices and applications, to ensure best practices are followed.