Scottish-based Boston Networks is to build and operate a new Internet of Things (IoT) network across Scotland.
The project will create a wide area wireless sensor network for applications and services to collect data from devices and send that data without the need for cellular connectivity or Wi-Fi.
Joining together 500 LoRa (Long Range) wireless gateways across the country, the IoT Scotland network is part-funded by £2.7m from the Scottish Government, with further support from Scottish Enterprise, Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and investment from Boston Networks itself.
The launch city of Glasgow will have 22 gateways and over 99% coverage, making it the most LoRa covered city in the UK.
Argyll and Bute Council has also signed up as an early adopter which will see early installations in Oban and Helensburgh. Negotiations are underway with other local authorities and organisations, with full roll-out planned by March 2021.
Potential uses of the network include the automated collection of temperature data from refrigeration units, which could lead to greater compliance and less waste. Similarly, the network could monitor office environments to save energy and lower costs.
According to Boston Networks’ chief technology officer Falk Bleyl, by 2025 there will be 25 billion IoT connections around the world and only a small number will be connected to the internet using 3G, 4G or WiFi.
“LoRa networks like IoT Scotland are going to become increasingly important – they have the potential to be as disruptive to businesses as the internet has been already to our daily lives,” he said.
“IoT Scotland will be the most advanced in the UK, can revolutionise the use of smart technologies and will be rolled out in cities, towns and rural areas across the country. It allows a wide range of users, from public sector organisations to small IoT start-ups to multinationals to focus on the deployment of sensors and applications, rather than network build.”
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Tags: Internet of Things, IoT, Next generation connectivity, smart technologies
