China expects 10.25b IoT connections by 2026: report

BEIJING -- China's Internet of Things (IoT) sector is expected to log strong expansion in the coming years, and the country's number of IoT connections will near 10.25 billion by 2026, according to an industry report.

The consumption sector will take the lion's share of these connections, with the smart home and wearable devices fields continuing to be the major growth drivers, says the report from global market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

The number of consumption-related IoT connections is expected to be approximately 5.98 billion by 2026, and connections related to the manufacturing and public facilities sectors will be about 300 million and 2.2 billion, respectively, the report says.

IDC also forecasts a double-digit expansion of IoT connections in the health care and education industries in the coming years.

China has pledged to develop its digital infrastructure, represented by 5G, IoT, cloud computing and the industrial internet, to a globally advanced level by 2025.

The country is making strong moves to accelerate the integration of IoT and other new generation information technologies.