※ URL(Korean): https://www.kisdi.re.kr/bbs/view.do?bbsSn=114729&key=m2101113055776&pageIndex=2&sc=&sw=

KISDI Publishes Report “Core Services in the 6G Era: Latest Developments and Policy Issues in IoT.” 
“Expansion of the Matter Standard and the Evolution of 6G Must Be Taken as Opportunities for IoT Ecosystem Growth” 

Concrete Policy Recommendations for Revitalizing the IoT Sector
▲ Support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the IoT sector through R&D and certification cost assistance, including adoption of the Matter standard
▲ Establishment of an industry–academia–research–government council to develop IoT standard models tailored to Korea’s environment
▲ Strengthening the competitiveness of IoT devices through enhanced on-device AI capabilities

The Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI, President Sangkyu Rhee) has published KISDI Policy Data (24-08), titled “Core Services in the 6G Era: Latest Developments and Policy Issues in IoT.”

The report analyzes recent trends in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector within the evolving digital infrastructure landscape shaped by 6G and artificial intelligence (AI), and discusses key policy issues to promote future growth of the IoT ecosystem.

The global IoT market is projected to reach USD 1 trillion around 2025–2026 and grow to USD 1.6 trillion by 2029. While growth appears steady, it has not met earlier expectations of explosive expansion. There have been reports pointing to structural fragmentation and dependency in the IoT ecosystem—caused by device-centered platforms—as a key factor behind this limitation. Accordingly, this study examines the current state of Korea’s IoT ecosystem, identifies key issues for revitalizing the ecosystem, and proposes practical measures for its activation.

The report highlights the growing adoption of the Matter standard, centered on home IoT, as a key step toward resolving one of the IoT industry’s chronic challenges—the lack of interoperability.

Developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the Matter standard is an open home IoT protocol that has undergone four updates since 2022, with major IT companies—including Google, Apple, Amazon, Samsung Electronics, and Huawei—participating in its development.
The essence of the Matter standard lies in enabling multiple platforms to coexist on a single device, beyond the confines of any one company’s ecosystem. As the Matter standard becomes more widespread, IoT manufacturers can develop and release products that meet the standard without facing significant market barriers, thereby boosting the vitality of the global IoT ecosystem. However, the report cautions that, in the long term, it cannot be ruled out that global tech giants such as Apple and Google may leverage the standard as a conduit for collecting data from devices they do not manufacture, thereby strengthening their influence in AI- and data-driven business models.

The report further examines the relationship between the evolution toward 6G networks and IoT. Future 6G systems, featuring ultra-reliability and ultra-low latency, are expected to drive high-value applications in critical IoT fields such as healthcare, defense, and mobility. The evolution toward 6G—including non-terrestrial networks (NTN) such as satellite communications that provide outdoor connectivity—is expected to significantly advance IoT development.

According to a Delphi survey of experts on policy priorities for Korea’s IoT growth, the most pressing needs are expanded R&D support (84.3%), increased support for domestic SMEs (64.7%), and simplification and cost reduction of IoT device certification procedures (52.9%).

Based on these findings, the report proposes three key policy directions for IoT revitalization: (1) supporting IoT SMEs in certification and R&D, including adoption of the Matter standard; (2) establishing an industry–academia–research–government council to develop standard IoT models suitable for Korea’s environment; and (3) strengthening IoT device competitiveness through enhanced on-device AI technology.

Senior Research Fellow Mincheol Kim stated, “The emergence of cooperative models such as the Matter standard, which enhance interoperability in the IoT sector, represents both an opportunity and a potential risk. In particular, for small and medium-sized enterprises with limited capital that are seeking to develop innovative IoT devices or services, this could open doors to the global market—so policy support should be provided generously and without reservation.”