The age of connectivity is amplifying the power of IoT, according to Anne Chow, CEO at AT&T Business.

In a keynote at Mobile World Congress 2022, Chow stressed that 5G is fueling innovation and that demand for both bandwidth and devices is accelerating.

On the device demand point, the CEO cited figures suggesting IoT device numbers are expected to grow to over 25 billion by 2025.

To cope with the surge in demand and to further innovate, Chow said her team at AT&T Business is exploring partnerships with the likes of IBM, Google, Salesforces, Samsung and Nokia.

But it was a newly struck partnership with Microsoft she highlighted the most during her speech.

The provider is looking to bring private 5G wireless networks to businesses and the public sector using Microsoft tech.

AT&T Private 5G Edge is designed to provide connectivity and embedded applications through a single platform with the use of CBRS or AT&T spectrums.

Potential use cases could see the technology applied in cameras and AI tools in manufacturing and video sensors with embedded AI found in medical clinics.

“With Microsoft, we believe the power of private 5G can be harnessed by businesses from all industries, from small businesses to the largest enterprises,” she told attendees.

“Reliable and affordable access to connectivity is crucial. We need to help bridge the digital divide.”

In related news, Microsoft recently announced it’s planning to sell cloud software for telecoms based on tech it acquired from AT&T last June.

This article first appeared in IoT World Today’s sister publication AI Business.