The Netherlands has first nationwide LoRa network for Internet of Things
As from today the KPN LoRa network is available throughout the Netherlands. This makes the Netherlands the first country in the world to have a nationwide LoRa network for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Over the past eight months a lot of hard work has gone into the rollout of the network, so it is now available outdoors throughout the Netherlands. KPN’s LoRa went live at the beginning of November 2015 in Rotterdam and The Hague. Because of substantial customer interest the rollout of the network was speeded up at the beginning of the year.
The existence of the easily accessible LoRa network makes it simple to develop smart applications and to optimize processes and services. KPN has already contracted 1.5 million ‘devices’ that will be connected to the LoRa network. This number is expected to grow rapidly now that the network is available in the whole of the Netherlands. In the months ahead KPN will further optimize the LoRa network by condensing the network; the much-requested localization functionality will become available too.
“Last year we identified an increasing demand for low-power network technology for Internet of Things applications. We are responding to this by choosing LoRa, so millions of devices can be connected to the internet in a cost-effective manner,” says Joost Farwerck, Chief Operations Officer and member of the Board of Management of KPN. “In less than a year KPN has implemented a network that allows us to satisfy this market demand.”
The first Internet of Things applications are already connected to the network and numerous proofs of concept are being tested. For example, at Schiphol Airport LoRa is being tested in logistical processes such as baggage handling and for facility services. An experiment is being carried out at Utrecht Central station that allows LoRa to monitor rail switches, and depth sounders at the port of Rotterdam have been fitted with devices to connect them to the IoT network. KPN expects LoRa applications for consumers to become more widely available in the course of this year.
About KPN’s LoRa KPN’s LoRa is a new network for IoT solutions and a supplement to the existing 2G, 3G and 4G networks. The network eliminates significant barriers (cost, consumption and energy) so that numerous devices can be connected to the internet. KPN has equipped hundreds of existing mobile transmission towers across the Netherlands with a LoRa gateway and antenna, allowing millions of devices to be connected.