Connect 2019: Sigfox Makes Four Major IoT Announcements

During the Connect 2019 event in Singapore, Ludovic Le Moan, CEO of IoT operator Sigfox, made four major announcements regarding enhancements to its IoT services, each with implications for large-scale IoT deployments.

Private Area Network launched

Sigfox will launch a Private Area Network (PAN) allowing enterprises to choose between either private or global service. Sigfox will make PAN available initially in France during Q1 2020. The company will eventually deploy the network to 65+ countries where Sigfox already offers IoT services. Sigfox expects more than 15 million registered objects and 1,500+ customers by the end of the year. The company also expects to complete its Wide Area Network next year.

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“Sigfox’s PAN offer will benefit from the existing ecosystem around the Sigfox WAN. The possibility of using all the components on the market, combined with the use of extremely low transmission power to support objects without the need for batteries, gives Sigfox’s PAN offer huge potential,” comments Ludovic Le Moan, CEO and co-founder of Sigfox.

Geolocation services enhanced

Sigfox introduced Atlas Native Complimentary (ANC), an addition to their Atlas Native geolocation service. Sigfox will offer ANC at no charge in exchange for data processing rights of GPS data. Analysts use machine learning to compare data with the network’s fingerprints to improve accuracy to 800 meters. HERE Technologies and Sigfox have partnered to offer Atlas WiFi.

Benjamin Mazet, Product Management Director on the global Sigfox portfolio, said: “With this partnership offer and the machine learning algorithms used to compute and improve Atlas accuracy, Sigfox is constantly enhancing the quality of its geolocation services, bringing huge benefits to new and existing Sigfox customers – literally at the flick of a switch and by always keeping the device as simple as possible.”

Amadeus and Sigfox team up for travel industry asset tracking

Sigfox announced a new partnership with Amadeus, which provides IT solutions for the travel and tourism industry. The two companies will form PinPoint, a strategic alliance that combines knowledge and travel industry technology asset tracking. The partnership will deliver an end-to-end tracking solution that enables the airline industry to keep closer tabs on luggage and high value assets. This service, set for launch next year, will enable the industry to shrink both financial losses and customer dissatisfaction.

“Sigfox technology is unique in its ability to track objects seamlessly across the globe, and at such a low cost. Combining Amadeus expertise and partners’ network in travel with Sigfox technology, we can enable luggage tracking at a price that is within what consumers are ready to pay for, and thus bring peace of mind to billions of travelers.” Marion Mesnage, Head of Research, Innovation & Ecosystems, Amadeus.

850,000 Japanese gas meters will use Sigfox network services

The company also announced that Japan’s NICIGAS will use SigFox’s 0G network to connect 850,000 gas meters. One of the largest smart utility deployments in the world, it will use a meter reader developed by UnaBiz and SORACOM. The network will transfer data from meters to NICIGAS’ IoT platform. Remote controlled and with over a decade of battery life, the system can provide data on an hourly basis to more accurately reflect gas use and demand.

“With more precise gas consumption data, we can better analyze our demand and supply and turn them into actionable insights for our logistics and distribution channels to achieve maximum resource efficiency. In addition, it will enable us to propose optimal energy usage plans to our existing and potential customers,” a NICIGAS spokesperson said.

The new smart meter solution will also include an emergency shut-off feature in the event of an earthquake — a common occurrence in Japan.