Some US connectivity providers are questioning whether T-Mobile US will  be supporting a 2G service for its M2M customers by the end of the decade.

One of these is Alex Brisbourne, the president of M2M specialist Kore Telematics, who blames the spread of “disinformation” for a belief that certain 2G networks will still be around in years to come.

The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) is considering whether to lend Poland’s Energa around $250 million to fund the development of a smart grid.

A posting on the bank’s website indicates that the loan has already been approved by the EBRD’s board but has yet to be signed off.

The loan period is given as 15 years, with the EBRD expecting financing to be “partly syndicated”.

Security has to be a prime consideration for enterprises that want to use M2M to achieve their business objectives, according to a new study from Frost & Sullivan.

“Traditional M2M deployments have security solutions embedded within the network, with the integrity of the underlying communications network being boosted by existing network security solutions,” said Yiru Zhong, a senior industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan.

Commercial fleet telematics in the government sector is set to generate $1.26 billion in 2018, up from just $618 million last year, according to a new study from ABI Research.

The market-research company says growth will be driven by pressure on government and public sector agencies to reduce costs but maintain service levels.

As a result, organizations are exploring ways of improving utilization of vehicle fleets and ensuring they comply with new regulation and environmental legislation.

Telenor Connexion has announced a partnership with the maker of what it calls “the world’s smallest and smartest GPS tracker”.

Wonder Technology Solutions (WTS), a Swedish start-up, has developed a smart device called the Trax designed specifically, it seems, for parents and pet owners.

Given its size and weight, the Trax can easily be attached to a child’s clothing so that concerned parents can monitor the whereabouts of loved ones at all times.

Pet owners could similarly fit the device to the collar of a dog or cat.

The global market for smart-grid technologies will generate $73 billion in annual revenue by the end of 2020, up from $33 billion in 2012, according to the latest data from Navigant Research.

The projection means the market generating cumulative revenue of $461 million between 2013 and 2020.

Navigant says there is still considerable potential for growth in countries with populations of more than 100 million, and especially in Africa, where there has been almost no activity in this area so far.

Telecom Italia has been unveiled as the newest member of the Global M2M Association, formed to spur development of M2M services internationally.

The Italian incumbent joins founder members Deutsche Telekom (Bonn, Germany) and Orange (Paris, France), which established the group in early 2011, plus Scandinavian operator TeliaSonera (Stockholm, Sweden), which became involved in July the same year.

Sierra Wireless has launched an embedded module aimed at supporting in-vehicle telematics and infotainment systems on the 4G network of Verizon Wireless.

The announcement comes as industry figures continue to express doubts about the suitability of 4G technology for M2M communications.

Individuals such as John Horn, the chief executive of MVNO RACO Wireless (Cincinnati, OH, USA), have questioned the business case for LTE-based M2M services, with 4G modules still much costlier than 2G or 3G ones.

Vodafone Germany has launched a new M2M service for remote monitoring, aimed chiefly at reducing downtime and lowering costs for customers in Germany’s machinery and plant engineering industries.

Branded the Integrated Remote Monitoring and Control Service (Integrated RMCS), the product is described by Vodafone (Dusseldorf, Germany) as the first fully integrated offering for the remote monitoring and control of machines through M2M communications.

Australian hardware specialist Netcomm Wireless has won an M2M supply deal with Saudi Arabia’s Mobily that it claims will bolster vertical-sector opportunities in the Middle East by allowing M2M services to work over 3G networks.

Under the arrangement, Netcomm (Sydney, Australia) is to supply Mobily (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) with outdoor industrial routers that can be used to support M2M services in areas that are poorly served by existing 3G networks.

The devices feature external 3G and WiFi antennas that boost signals in remote regions.