SIGFOX IoT network extended to ANZ

SIGFOX, a provider of dedicated communications service for the Internet of Things (IoT), and Thinxtra, an IoT network operator based in Sydney, have announced their partnership to extend the SIGFOX IoT network to Australia and New Zealand.

As an ultralow-energy network, SIGFOX provides the connectivity that enables small, inexpensive devices to communicate. The company’s IoT network is currently operating in 14 countries and already registers more than seven million objects.

As a SIGFOX Network Operator, Thinxtra will deploy and operate a nationwide SIGFOX network in Australia and New Zealand and offer the SIGFOX communications service and IoT ecosystem of solutions to businesses and consumers of both countries. Australian and New Zealand businesses will also benefit from the products developed around the world by SIGFOX’s partners, which includes manufacturers of components and objects, IT developers and integrators.

Taking advantage of the simple and fast rollout of the network, which requires lighter infrastructure than traditional wireless networks, the two partners will offer coverage to 30% of the populations of both countries by the end of 2016 and to 85% within 18 months.

Meanwhile, New Zealand telecommunications provider Kordia has been named as Thinxtra’s preferred partner for the deployment of the SIGFOX network and has official channel partner status to resell connections and solutions on the network. The necessary equipment for the SIGFOX network will also be co-located on Kordia’s existing sites across New Zealand.

“Kordia has the appropriate infrastructure in place to allow the rapid extension of the SIGFOX LPWA (low-power wide area) network across New Zealand,” said Thinxtra CEO Loic Barancourt. “Coverage is essential, as it sets the scene for practical IoT deployments without the limitations of restricted network access.” He added that Kordia’s existing client base can be expected to deploy IoT solutions now that it has access to the SIGFOX network.

According to Kordia CTO Aaron Olphert, the ability to develop IoT solutions on a globally standardised network will provide access to international markets for New Zealand’s innovators. He said, “This is a positive development for local technology companies and, more broadly speaking, the country itself to access large export markets. An IoT solution developed here, which relies on SIGFOX, will work anywhere else.”