Five Predictions Shaping The Future Of Mobility And IoT In 2025

Max Silber is VP of Mobility & IoT at MetTel, where he leads mobile & IoT operations and related business development initiatives.

The future of mobility and IoT in 2025 will be defined by several powerful, converging trends: advancements in battery technology, the rise of private 5G networks securing a surge of IoT devices, a growing emphasis on sustainability and increasingly sophisticated AI-driven security.

These interconnected advancements will reshape how we interact with technology and the world around us. Based on my experience in the tech industry as a mobile and IoT leader, here are five predictions I think we'll see in 2025 and beyond.

1. Extended Battery Power On The Edge

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly expanding, encompassing a vast array of devices, from tiny environmental sensors to complex industrial machinery. This growth fuels an increasing demand for longer-lasting, more efficient power sources.

In 2025, I believe batteries for IoT sensors will see significant improvements, driven by the convergence of several key factors. Advancements in material science will yield higher energy density batteries, enabling smaller form factors with significantly longer lifespans. We'll see wider adoption of solid-state batteries, offering improved safety, higher energy density, and longer cycle life compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

These advancements will be crucial for enabling wider deployment of IoT sensors in various applications, from environmental monitoring and smart agriculture to industrial automation and wearable health trackers, without the need for frequent battery replacements. This will not only reduce maintenance costs but it will also minimize the environmental impact associated with battery disposal.

2. The IoT Explosion, Secured By Private 5G

The predicted "IoT explosion" will see millions of new devices connecting to the internet, generating massive amounts of data and transforming industries. This influx of IoT devices requires secure and reliable connectivity.

Private 5G networks offer a compelling solution, providing dedicated bandwidth, enhanced security and granular control. They offer greater control over network performance via dedicated bandwidth, allowing organizations to tailor their network infrastructure to the specific requirements of their IoT applications. This dedicated approach minimizes interference from other network traffic, ensuring consistent performance and reliability, even for latency-sensitive applications like remote surgery or autonomous vehicle control.

Furthermore, the enhanced security features of private 5G networks protect sensitive data from cyber threats, a critical concern as the number of connected devices proliferates. This combination of performance, security and control makes private 5G the ideal platform for supporting the growth of the IoT ecosystem and unlocking its full potential across various industries.

3. Sustainability Takes Center Stage

The telecommunications industry, a significant energy consumer, faces mounting pressure to minimize its environmental footprint, particularly given the burgeoning demands of mobile and IoT devices. Sustainability is no longer a mere trend but a core operational imperative intertwined with the industry's ability to support the growing connectivity needs of a rapidly digitizing world.

By 2025 and beyond, expect a dramatic shift toward eco-conscious practices driven by regulatory pressures, investor demands and societal awareness of climate change. This translates to substantial investments in green technologies directly impacting the mobile and IoT landscape.

Network infrastructure will undergo a transformation, with the adoption of energy-efficient antennas, fiber optic cables and smaller, more power-conscious base stations necessary to support the densification required by 5G and IoT deployments. Data centers, essential for processing the massive data generated by mobile and IoT devices, will see increased utilization of free air cooling, liquid cooling systems and AI-powered energy optimization tools.

The push for circularity will also gain momentum, with initiatives focused on recycling and repurposing network equipment and end-user devices (phones, sensors, etc.) to minimize electronic waste. Device lifecycle management and repair services will become increasingly important, reducing the amount of technology that ends up in landfills. This will also contribute to a shift toward "as-a-service" models from communication companies.

Beyond infrastructure, telecom operators will implement sophisticated monitoring and management systems to track energy consumption across the network, including connected IoT devices, identifying areas for improvement and reporting on their sustainability progress transparently. AI will play a crucial role in optimizing energy consumption in real time, analyzing network traffic patterns and device usage to dynamically adjust power allocation and minimize waste.

4. Vertical-Specific Solutions

The increasing demand for highly specialized, efficient, and data-driven solutions will drive the rise of vertical-specific IoT solutions in 2025.

Generic IoT platforms often lack the nuanced understanding required to address the unique challenges and opportunities within individual industries. Vertical-specific solutions, on the other hand, can be tailored to leverage industry-specific data, regulations and operational workflows, leading to more effective outcomes.

Furthermore, the maturation of AI and machine learning algorithms allows for deeper analysis of industry-specific data, enabling predictive maintenance, optimized resource allocation and improved decision making.

This trend will be further fueled by the growing availability of low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) and 5G connectivity, enabling cost-effective and reliable communication for a wider range of IoT devices in diverse environments.

We can expect to see these solutions expand in industries like insurance, finance, transportation, manufacturing, oil and gas and healthcare—areas where the convergence of sensors, compliance requirements and high data volumes makes IoT particularly impactful.

5. AI-Driven Mobile Threat Protection

Sophisticated attacks targeting mobile devices will demand more proactive security measures. AI-driven mobile threat protection will analyze user behavior, network traffic and app activity in real-time to identify and neutralize malicious code and suspicious activities before they compromise data or disrupt functionality. By learning to recognize patterns of malicious behavior, AI will enhance mobile security and user trust in the connected world.

In short, these converging trends point toward a future where connectivity is not just pervasive but also secure, efficient and environmentally conscious. The interplay of extended battery life, the secure expansion of the IoT via private 5G, a strong focus on sustainability, the rise of tailored vertical solutions and the implementation of AI-driven security will unlock new possibilities across industries and transform the way we live and work.