"The silent market" is a phrase some might use to describe machine-to-machine (M2M), which is the group of technologies that enables sensors, meters and a whole range of inanimate objects to communicate with each other. While broadband project teams typically look to economic development, education and medical services applications to justify the cost of building networks, they may be overlooking M2M as one of the killer broadband apps.  

Josh Broder, President of Tilson Tech gives listeners a breakdown on the importance of M2M in community broadband needs assessment and strategy planning. Tilson Tech has led several massive broadband deployment projects in the U.S., including the Maine Three-Ring Binder project.

Broder addresses some of the pressing concerns about M2M, including:

*  what does the "Internet of things" really means;

*  the extent to which inanimate objects will be hooked up to the Net, and what this means for broadband capacity;

*  what kind of wireless and wired broadband coverage is needed to address M2M; and  

*  the role of cellular wireless vs other forms of wireless technology.