The 10 Coolest IoT Connectivity Companies: The 2020 Internet Of Things 50

5G may be coming for IoT in the future, but the need for connectivity is now. What follows are the 10 coolest IoT connectivity companies of 2020.

Connectivity is critical to IoT, which is why there’s an increasing incentive for vendors to build out new and innovative offerings that can address big issues like density, latency and device management. These vendors are tackling connectivity in a variety of ways, whether it’s selling cryptocurrency-mining gateways to crowdsource networks or building an entire suite of mobility offerings to make it easier for businesses to get started. 5G may be coming for IoT in the future, but the need for connectivity is now, so vendors are introducing new software, services and hardware to get the job done.

What follows are the 10 coolest IoT connectivity companies of 2020.

Aeris Communications

Chairman, CEO: Marc Jones

San Jose, Calif.-based Aeris Communications is making it easier for enterprises to create IoT mobility businesses with Aeris Mobility Suite, a set of software and services that provides the necessary building blocks for applications ranging from fleet management to location tracking.

AT&T

CEO: Randall Stephenson

As the momentum for 5G starts to take off, Dallas-based AT&T is forging multiple partnerships to extend its IoT capabilities and offerings, which include a new partnership with Vodafone Business to make it easier for customers to create massive IoT deployments.

BehrTech

Founder, CEO: Albert Behr

BehrTech is pushing an alternative to LoRa—the proprietary low-power, wide-area network technology for IoT devices—with its MyThings software that uses a protocol called MIOTY to provide long-range, low-power communication with lower interference and support for standard gateways and sensors.

Comcast

Chairman, CEO: Brian L. Roberts

Philadelphia-based Comcast is connecting enterprises to low-power, wide-area networks for IoT deployments with its machineQ suite of hardware and software offerings, which includes gateways, sensors and the MQcentral device management software platform that is designed to handle every stage of development.

Helium

Co-Founder, CEO: Amir Haleem

San Francisco-based Helium is crowdsourcing IoT connectivity with its LongFi wireless network that promises 200 times the range of Wi-Fi at 1/1,000th of the cost of a cellular modem—all made possible by consumers who buy and deploy Helium Hotspot gateways in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Lantronix

President, CEO: Paul Pickle

Irvine, Calif.-based Lantronix is equipping businesses with a variety of IoT gateways, building blocks and software—a growing portfolio of products that includes new additions like the Mobile Hardware Development Kit and the dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth xPico 270 embedded IoT gateway.

Senet

President, CEO: Bruce Chatterley

Portsmouth, N.H.-based Senet is forging partnerships on multiple fronts for its cloud-based connectivity software and low-power, wide-area network services, which includes a new alliance with smart city provider MeterSYS for enabling advanced metering infrastructure across the U.S.

Sigfox

Co-Founder, CEO: Ludovic Le Moan

Paris-based SigFox is expanding services and coverage for its 0G low-power, wide-area network through a partnership with nano satellite provider Eutelstat for expanded global coverage and through the launch of a new service that allows businesses to build out their own private area networks.

Sprint

President, CEO: Michel Combes

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint is a making a big bet on IoT with its Curiosity suite of offerings and services, which includes the low-latency Curiosity Core network with support for multiple protocols, and the redesigned Sprint IoT Factory solution for small and midsize businesses.

Verizon

Chairman, CEO: Hans Vestberg

Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon is doubling down on IoT connectivity with its ThingSpace platform, which pairs with the company’s Narrowband IoT network to help companies connect and manage their IoT solutions while offering them a variety of prebuilt applications like asset management.