Inmarsat and Actility laud LoRa-based IoT network as first global LPWAN option.
As large enterprises continue to adopt internet of things solutions for a variety of use cases, global connectivity is a major selling point. Consider asset tracking: without global connectivity, visibility and monitoring processes become inconsistent, unreliable and potentially costly. In the increasingly crowded IoT network service provider space, low power wide area network technologies include cellular-based connectivity like LTE-M and narrowband-IoT, as well as proprietary provider Sigfox, and network providers subscribing to the long range specification.
Pushed by advocacy group LoRa Alliance, the connectivity standard is marked by bi-directional communication, mobility and localization services.
The latest LoRa LPWAN option comes from satellite communications provider Inmarsat and established LPWAN provider Actility. Boasting global coverage, the firms singled out asset tracking, precision agriculture and oil and gas as vertical industries that can benefit from seamless, global coverage for smart, IP-connected field devices.
Inmarsat’s satellite network provides coverage, while Actility’s Thingpark suite includes core network management and supervision, IoT device connectivity management and a data analytics engine.
“These three early applications are indicative of the industrial IoT market in general: businesses don’t need an off-the-shelf IoT solution for agribusiness or asset tracking; they need a specific solution for a specific problem,” said Paul Gudonis, president of Inmarsat Enterprise. “Through our collaboration with Actility we have the building blocks to tailor solutions for each specific opportunity, no matter where it is in the world.”
Actility CEO Mike Mulica said the global coverage opportunity presented by Inmarsat’s satellite network is a major step.
“Actility has worked on many large-scale nationwide LPWA network deployments, but this is bigger: we’re fantastically excited about being part of the first truly global IoT network in partnership with Inmarsat,” Mulica said. “Our collaboration with Inmarsat allows us to provide customers with an end-to-end solution to connect their assets and fulfill their IoT business needs anywhere in the world. We’ll be working alongside Inmarsat every step of the way to help global customers address their specific needs with more efficient, best-fit solutions.”
