SIA Calls for National Strategy to Spur Internet of Things

by David Isaacs, Vice President, Government Affairs

At a forum on Capitol Hill earlier today, SIA and other tech and business leaders called for a national strategy to harness the immense potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), the semiconductor-enabled network of devices connected to the cloud from which data can be collected and analyzed, and to ensure U.S. leadership in this burgeoning technology.

SIA President & CEO John Neuffer, along with representatives from the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and semiconductor industry leaders Intel and Samsung, highlighted the release today of a report outlining the steps policymakers in Washington should take to realize the transformative benefits of the IoT across countless applications. These applications include wearables, smart homes, medical electronics, industrial automation, connected cars, smart cities, and many more. Semiconductors are a key enabling technology for the IoT.

[DOWNLOAD THE NATIONAL IOT STRATEGY REPORT]

The overarching recommendation from the report is that the U.S. government should work with industry to establish a long-term national strategy that will enable America to lead the world in IoT. Specific recommendations discussed today include:

• Support research that will accelerate the adoption of the IoT in the U.S. and improve America’s global competitiveness;
• Ensure consistent IoT standards and rules at the federal and international levels; 
• Fund and incentivize smart, data-driven infrastructure solutions that advance federal agency missions; 
• Facilitate the deployment of ubiquitous, affordable, high-speed broadband connections for advanced cellular technologies like 5G and advanced wireless technologies like next-generation WiFi;
• Incentivize multi-layered protection of IoT solutions using hardware- and software-integrated security;
• Approve the approve the Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act (S. 88), which would lay the groundwork for a national IoT strategy. 

At today’s event, Neuffer underscored the foundational role of semiconductors in enabling the IoT and the urgent need for robust government investments in basic research to supplement industry investments that aim to spur growth in emerging technologies like the IoT. The U.S. semiconductor industry invests nearly one-fifth of revenue in R&D annually, among the highest shares of any industry.

A March 2017 SIA and Semiconductor Research Corporation report, Semiconductor Research Opportunities: An Industry Vision and Guide, also highlighted areas that must be addressed to fulfill the promise of emerging technologies like the IoT.

SIA looks forward to working with policymakers to advance a national IoT strategy that brings to fruition the tremendous benefits of the IoT across virtually all areas of society and ensures that the United States leads the world in harnessing this transformative technology.