The network is based on French company Sigfox’s technology
New Zealand business-focused service provider Kordia, together with its partner Thinxtra, announced that their dedicated Internet of Things (IoT) network has reached 88% coverage of the country’s population.
The companies said that the goal of the IoT project is to reach a coverage of 95% of the population.
The low-power network is based on French IoT firm Sigfox technology. Kordia’s Chief Digital Officer Aaron Olphert said that the firm aims to sell one million IoT connections over the next three years.
“Already, we are seeing pent up demand from companies that recognize the potential offered by the IoT, but also understand that existing connectivity options and the associated costs are not workable,” the executive said.
The Sigfox network provides the necessary infrastructure through which small mobile IoT sensors can communicate, regardless of location. Olphert added.
Olphert highlighted that Sigfox provides a low-power network which brings the cost of connectivity for IoT sensors down to a fraction of existing connectivity.
Regarding the deployment plan, Kordia has just extended coverage in the South Island to Ashburton, Oamaru and Timaru and is in the process of deploying the IoT network in Queenstown.
Thinxtra and Kordia are also currently working with a range of ecosystem partners on solutions that include agriculture, asset tracking, service-on-demand, road infrastructure and natural resource use cases.
Auckland Transport is among the organizations interested in the IoT network, and sees an opportunity to improve school safety by connecting school zone road signs to the network – a proof of concept solution developed by Massey University in conjunction with Auckland-based industrial design company Motiv.
The University was first connected in 2016 and now has coverage at all its campuses and has partnered with Thinxtra to develop IoT solutions.
“Controlling the school signs used to rely on a manual operation, often by the school’s receptionist, over a short range RF link. There was no visibility on the status of the signs, which often relied on the public or school to report their condition. Now the signs are connected to the Sigfox network, real-time information on their status and full control and monitoring is now available on a web application,” Associate Professor Johan Potgieter, said.
