This year has been a breakthrough for connected devices.  According to a recent GSMA and Machina report, the number of connected devices is expected to grow from 9 billion to 24 billion in 2021.  And it’s not just smartphones and tablets pushing these expectations.  There’s also the unexpected gadgets like connected shoes, tracking devices, connected cars, TVs… and the list continues.  Looking to get fashionable with connectedness is AT&T, which is working on clothing that can track vital stats, such as your heart rate and body temperature.

In June of this year, the telecom giant signed a deal to power the wireless network for Zephyr, a company that produces a line of clothing sensors, called the BioHarness.  According to the President of AT&T’s emerging devices division Glenn Lurie, the company is looking for more business partners that have already developed feasible applications in this area.

The use of Zephyr’s BioHarness under college athlete’s shirts at the NFL Scouting Combine last year is what gained AT&T’s attention.  The Bioharness was used to measure the vital signs of the players.

But the potential for Bioharness goes so much further, and this is where AT&T is really hoping to be a strategic partner.   Aside from the athletes, this clothing can also be used by ordinary people who just want to track their vital signs during work outs.  On a bigger scale, this technology could also be used in the care of infants and the elderly.  And in connecting the Bioharness beyond just smartphones, the sensors could also be of great benefit in first-responder applications such as alerts for the police, fire departments and hospitals.

“Seniors want more freedom, but at the same time, their loved ones want to know where they are and how they’re feeling. So we see some opportunities there,” said Lurie.

“When you look at the percentage of Americans who are aging and the number who fall into that category every day, it’s going to be a very big marketplace to deliver products and services to make their lives better.”

The BioHarness is also capable of generating a remote electrocardiogram, as demonstrated for the American Telemedicine Association last spring, although this application is not yet available commercially.

And don’t look to AT&T for direct sales either. While the telecom has big plans for Zephyr’s connected devices, AT&T has said it won’t be selling them in stores. No news yet on where to buy the product or how much it will cost.  But likely retail outlets include sports stores and medial suppliers.