According to CRN, the number of connected IoT devices is set to grow 14 percent this year to 21.1 billion and continue at a 13.2 percent compound annual growth rate to reach 39 billion by 2030. That number is expected to surpass 50 billion by 2035 when the market reaches full saturation. While Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dominate current connections, cellular IoT chipsets are forecast for 23 percent average growth through 2030, with 5G chipsets exploding at 34 percent growth. These trends highlight massive opportunities for vendors developing IoT and 5G capabilities, particularly at the convergence of these technologies. CRN has identified 25 providers in its 2025 Edge Computing 100 that are leading innovation in 5G, IoT and edge services as demand continues to accelerate across enterprise markets.
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<h2 id="what-this-means-for-business“>What this means for business
Here’s the thing – we’re talking about nearly doubling the number of connected devices in just six years. That’s not just incremental growth, that’s a fundamental reshaping of how businesses operate. Every company is becoming a technology company whether they like it or not. The sheer scale of this expansion means we’ll see IoT moving from nice-to-have pilot projects to core business infrastructure.
And the cellular piece is particularly interesting. 5G growth at 34 percent annually? That’s massive. Basically, we’re looking at a future where reliable, low-latency connectivity becomes table stakes for everything from manufacturing to retail to healthcare. Companies that haven’t seriously considered their IoT strategy yet are already playing catch-up.
The edge computing connection
Now, here’s where it gets really compelling. All these devices generating data can’t just send everything to the cloud – that’s where edge computing comes in. The 25 providers CRN highlighted aren’t just connectivity companies, they’re building the intelligence layer that makes all these connected devices actually useful.
Think about it – what good are 50 billion devices if they’re just dumb sensors? The real value comes from processing data locally, making real-time decisions, and only sending what matters to the cloud. That’s the convergence CRN is talking about, and it’s where the competitive advantage will be built over the next decade.
Market saturation reality
2035 might seem far away, but the “full saturation” prediction is actually pretty sobering. Basically, we’ve got about a decade of explosive growth ahead, and then the land grab is over. The companies making moves right now – the ones on that Edge Computing 100 list – are positioning themselves for the long haul.
So what happens when every possible thing that can be connected is connected? The competition shifts from connectivity to intelligence, from hardware to services, from data collection to actionable insights. The window for establishing leadership in this space is closing faster than most people realize.