Telecommunications infrastructure operator Cellnex said it is targeting 80% coverage of Ireland with its national Internet of Things (IoT) network by the end of this year.
Through its partnership with Everynet, Cellnex aims to bring a new nationwide low power wide area (LoRaWAN) network to all major cities across Ireland by the end of 2022, the company said in a release.
Cellnex said that the rollout of the LoRaWAN network will enable it to work with public bodies and private businesses across the country on their IoT requirements, such as asset tracking, building and energy management, air and water quality monitoring, waste management or parking validation.
Cellnex carried out a pilot project in Edenderry last year, in which the town became the first in Ireland to use LoRaWAN technology to help deliver solutions to monitor disabled parking bays, bin level sensors, air quality monitoring and tracking energy use in public buildings.
“Our new IoT network will lead to the internet of things becoming a practical and positive reality in everyday life, transforming the way in which a huge range of services can be operated and managed. The partnership in Edenderry launched last year is just the tip of the iceberg of what can be achieved in delivering applications from monitoring parking spaces to measuring air quality, and will drive efficiencies in the delivery of public services,” said Paul Delaney, IoT lead and sales director for Cellnex Ireland.
Cellnex Ireland says it has over 70 customers — including all the Irish mobile operators, the broadcast and emergency services, and multiple local wireless operators.
The company said that as the firm expands its service offering the customer profile is evolving to include public bodies, utility providers, players in the hospitality, retail, transport, manufacturing and construction sectors.
Over the past 12 months, Cellnex says it has tripled the size of its portfolio in Ireland, having completed the integration of the 1,150 towers it acquired from Three Ireland in January 2021.
Cellnex entered the Irish market in 2019 through its acquisition of the Cignal Infrastructure business and at the time, committed to delivering 600 new sites by 2026. Cellnex said that this program is on track, with 300 sites delivered to date despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 lockdowns over the past two years and the resulting delays to planning permissions and construction.
“Our ambition is to continue to grow our core business but also to accelerate our diversification into IoT and DAS solutions, leveraging our Group’s expertise to meet the ever-increasing needs of public & private businesses for innovative real-world connectivity solutions that drive efficiencies,” said Colin Cunningham, managing director of Cellnex Ireland.
Cellnex manages a portfolio of more than 130,000 sites – including forecast roll-outs up to 2030 – in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Poland.
