(c)iStock.com/Oliver Lantzendorffer
It was a close run contest – but the Netherlands beat South Korea to announcing a nationwide network for the Internet of Things (IoT) by four days.
On June 30, KPN announced the deployment of a network based on the LoRa standard, which went live in November 2015 in Rotterdam and The Hague, with a rapid rollout beginning in early 2016, while on July 4 SK Telecom unveiled its grand plans for a nationwide LPWAN (low power wide area network) LoRa IoT network.
For the Netherlands, KPN already has 1.5 million ‘devices’ connected to the network and this figure is expected to grow fast on account of the presence of the network across the country.
The network is expected to be further optimised by efforts to condense, even as KPN makes the localisation functionality available in response to strong demand. LoRa is already being used in logistical processes, such as baggage handling and for facility services at Amsterdam Scihphol Airport, while Utrecht Central station and the port of Rotterdam are using LoRa to monitor rail switches and depth sounders.
Joost Farwerck, KPN chief operations officer, explained the reasons why LoRa was chosen. “Last year we identified an increasing demand for low-power network technology for Internet of Things applications,” he said. “We are responding to this by choosing LoRa, so millions of devices can be connected to the internet in a cost-effective manner.
“In less than a year, KPN has implemented a network that allows us to satisfy this market demand,” he added.
SK Telecom announced however that its LoRaWAN (LoRa wide area network) build had been finished across South Korea by the end of June, and its LTE-M rollout had been completed by March this year. By securing the two nationwide, the telco says it is now ready to “create valuable business opportunities in the IoT era.”
The company also unveiled its pricing structure for LoRaWAN, from KRW 350 (£0.23) per month at Band IoT 35 to KRW 2000 (£1.31) for Band IoT 200. The former would be appropriate for a product such as a gas meter which transmits minimal data, while the latter would suit a full lighting control service which relies on real time communication.
“SK Telecom is proud to announce the nationwide deployment of LoRaWAN as it marks the first important step towards realising connectivity between infinite number[s] of things, going beyond the traditional role of telecommunications centred on connectivity between people,” said Lee Hyung-hee, SK Telecom president of mobile network business. “Going forward, SK Telecom will develop and offer a wide variety of IoT services designed to offer new value for customers, while working closely with partners including SMEs and startups to vitalise the IoT ecosystem.”
You can find out more about the Netherlands rollout here and the South Korea rollout here.
Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this and sharing their IoT use-cases? Attend the IoT Tech Expo World Series events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam to learn more.
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