Low-power wide area network provider Actility will work with Russia’s second largest telecom operator to deploy a nationwide internet of things network. Enforta, the Russian telecom operator owned by ER Telecom Holding, said it IoT network will be used to serve enterprise customers and state authorities. The carrier said the long-range coverage offered by LoRa technology is a good choice for Russia, because the network will need to cover a very large geographic area.
Oil, gas, and mining companies are key customers for Enforta, and the company thinks IoT services will be important to these enterprises. LoRa sensors can be attached to pipelines in remote locations that are hard to access during the Russian winters. They can also be attached to vehicles, equipment, and to workers who go into mines and work with explosives.
Enforta also believes that manufacturing and logistics companies will become IoT customers, and said these customers are particularly interested in geolocation of goods, especially along the Trans-Siberian railroad.
“Russian enterprises are currently in the stage of digital transformation that will considerably improve the efficiency of business. The internet of things is the foundation for the development of a digital economy having unlimited growth potential,” said Andrey Kuzyaev, president of ER Telecom Holding. “Taking into account all the opportunities that digital economy provides, we have decided to extend our business and enter adjoining markets and launch an IoT network with the federal coverage in 60 cities with our partner Actility.”
Actility is a French firm that specializes in LPWA networks for the IoT. Its primary offering is its ThingPark platform, which combines an LPWA core network and an pperations support system (OSS). The first manages communications between connected objects, base stations and applications, and the second is used to manage network infrastructure and connectivity plans.
Actility is active in Europe and China and has recently entered the U.S. market with a vehicle tracking solution. The company recently raised $75 million in Series D funding, which includes participation from Cisco Investments, the networking company’s venture arm.