Bouygues Telecom announced the launch of France’s first Internet of Things (IoT) network based on low-power, long range (LoRa) technology.
According to the operator, the system will begin working from June with the trials going on in the city of Grenoble, in collaboration with partner, Semtech.
By the end of this year, around 500 towns and cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Rennes, Nantes, Montpellier and Angers will be covered by this network.
The flexibility of LoRa technology has made it ideal for IoT networks by allowing connected devices to share data packets over a wide area at minimal power consumption.
Olivier Roussat, chairman and CEO of Bouygues Telecom, said: “The Internet of Things is going to transform entire areas of our economy. Thanks to the expertise and the infrastructures of Bouygues Telecom, we will be able to quickly offer nationwide coverage with a high-quality service.”
On completion, Bouygues Telecom will be the first French operator to provide a complete commercial offer for IoT, to meet the increasing need for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connectivity in this segment.
Bouygues Telecom and its international partners (Semtech, Sagemcom, Eolane, Adeunis and Kerlink) and several major industrial customers have been testing the LoRa technology and assessing its performance in real-life conditions for the last 16 months.
Developed by the French company Cycleo, LoRa is a low-power wide-area (LPWA) technology that enables smart devices to share small packets of data, with autonomy of up to 10 years with standard batteries.
LoRa has a feature of accepting any space in buildings and basements. They are bi-directional and secure communications, supporting geolocation services.
In addition, LoRa is appropriate for Smart Cities, Smart Environment , Smart Water, Smart metering, smart Grid and many more.
According to Bouygues, other major Operators in the region such as KPN, Swisscom, Belgacom and Fastnet are in the process of deploying LoRa networks.
Sabeena Wahid
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