Comsol lanceert grootste IoT-netwerk van Afrika, met LPWA van Actility
GAUTENG, Zuid-Afrika–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Comsol IoT, het open platform voor landelijke inzet van low power wide area-netwerken (LPWA-netwerken) van Comsol, is gelanceerd. Dit IoT-netwerk van de nieuwste generatie wordt gesteund door internationale giganten, zoals Cisco en IBM. Een platform van Actility faciliteert het netwerk, dat goedkope en verreikende IoT-verbindingen levert en geolocatie ondersteunt. De installatie van Comsol IoT volgt op Comsols investering van 1,5 miljard rand in het landelijke netwerk Open Access Layer 2. Comsol IoT is vanaf februari 2017 beschikbaar voor sensordiensten in de grote metropolen van Zuid Afrika.
Comsol Launches Africa’s Largest IoT Network, Featuring LPWA Enabled by Actility
GAUTENG, South Africa–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Comsol’s open architecture, open platform Low Power Wide Area National network deployment, Comsol IoT, has been launched. Backed by a global alliance and driven by international giants such as Cisco and IBM, and enabled by Actility’s carrier-grade platform, the latest generation IoT network offers low cost, long range, low power IoT connectivity, capable of supporting geolocation. The Comsol IoT network will be deployed on the back of Comsol’s R1,5 Billion Open Access Layer 2 National network investment and will be available for sensor service termination by February 2017 in the major metros.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is fast becoming a reality. LoRa™ Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN™) technology offers a flexible IoT network ideal for the efficient and cost-effective monitoring and management of assets and infrastructure, enabling wireless connectivity for millions of sensors and smart devices over wide geographical areas. Comsol has now initiated the largest deployment of this technology on the African continent with the launch of Comsol IoT .
“IoT offers solutions for smart cities, smart businesses, and even many of the challenges we face as a society, for example managing scarce resources like water. By enabling smart tracking, smart perimeter control, smart agriculture, smart buildings, as well as smart city applications like metering and manhole cover monitoring, IoT is already fundamentally changing how we live. We are proud to introduce the network that is going to empower African utilities, businesses, and individuals to gain the benefits the IoT offers,” says Iain Stevenson, CEO of Comsol.
Designed to avoid interference, Comsol IoT combines the wide coverage area of cellular networks with low-power radio technology to provide ubiquitous connectivity in a single, cost-effective and secure wireless network. Serving a previously unaddressed market, Comsol IoT offers broad geographic coverage – including urban and rural areas – to create an ecosystem that supports the connectivity of millions of devices.
“Comsol IoT is the ideal solution for applications where power-constrained devices are distributed over large geographical areas. So in the case of water or electricity meters, or agricultural monitoring, to name a few, the network offers wide reach as well as power and cost savings. Battery life of up to 15 years can be achieved for some of these devices due to the relatively small data sets and transmission rates enabled by Comsol IoT. The high costs associated with manual monitoring, replacement of batteries and GPS devices are also no longer factors for organisations wanting to run a smart operation,” says Justin Colyn, Executive Head of IoT of Comsol.
He adds that this provides opportunities for the developers operating in the market as well as the businesses leveraging the IoT solutions being created. “By virtue of the fact that Comsol IoT is an open access, open protocol network, any IoT applications that are developed will be seamlessly enabled to the devices and sensors they are meant to serve. There’s no vendor lock-in, creating a diverse ecosystem that will serve to take African IoT to the next level.”
Comsol’s drive to connect Africa, without limits, has extended this deployment to include securing several device distribution agreements in South Africa. And by partnering with Actility, a global leader in Low Power Wide Area network software, Comsol has enabled South African customers to benefit from a complete solution.
“Actility is an industry leader in Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN). ThingPark by Actility offers a carrier-grade IoT platform, with a growing ecosystem of partners.” explains Actility CEO Mike Mulica.
“We’re delighted to be supporting Comsol in rolling out a national IoT network for South Africa,” Mulica adds. “Comsol is one of the most innovative communication service providers in the world today, committed to a wide range of connectivity options to create the optimum network for every application. We’re very happy that Comsol has chosen LoRaWAN to complement their existing network for the incredibly diverse range of IoT use cases expected in South Africa, and that they have chosen Actility’s carrier-grade ThingPark platform to enable that network.”
Stevenson adds that Comsol IoT will not only provide an end-to-end solution for organisations moving into the IoT world, it offers a platform on which an entire ecosystem can be created to address the challenges the modern world faces. “IDC predicts that 25% of all IoT applications will be running over low power WANs like Comsol IoT by 2020. We are proud to be able to ensure that Africa’s IoT-enabled devices are not only connected by the most reliable and cost-effective network, but that they are able to create changes in the way agriculture, resource, and conservation management are conducted. IoT will change the face of the continent, and Comsol is honored to be at the forefront of that revolution.”
View source version on businesswire.com:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161102006824/en/
Contacts
Comsol
Mia Andric
mia@exposureunlimited.net
or
Actility
Anne Van Gemert
anne.vangemert@actility.com