Despite the temptation to talk about a single network underpinning the entire internet of things (IoT), in reality different applications will require different protocols. There has never been a single network technology underpinning the global internet, and there is no particular reason why there should be one for the IoT, if only because the standards process involved would take so many years to play out. Some ‘things’ will be connected to one another, and the internet, by wireline connections, some by wireless (in licensed or unlicensed spectrum); some will use the same established technologies as other devices, others may require specialized systems; some will run on public networks, some will demand the security and control of a private network. While…