Dubai-based IoT network and solutions provider iWire Global, at one time in the running to buy Sigfox, has signed a regional collaboration and development deal with Singapore-based IoT outfit Unabiz, which eventually won the race to buy Sigfox’s technology assets in France. The partnership will “accelerate” IoT adoption in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) – “through closer alignment with regional IoT regulatory frameworks and requirements,” the pair explained.
iWire Global runs a number of subsidiaries out of its headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) business district in Dubai. These include Sigfox networks in Turkey, Jordan, and India, among other places. A statement said: “The company aspires to expand its business reach to other countries in the region by adopting the global 0G network along with other IoT technologies to provide best-in-class solutions and services.”
The term ‘0G’, in case you haven’t kept up with the saga, is the recent branding for the Sigfox technology, originally devised by Sigfox itself, which positions the ultra-narrowband standard as a kind of sub-cellular technology, to work as an alternative or a last-pulse complement to 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, and even to comparable LTE-based low-power wide-area (LPWA) network technologies NB-IoT and LTE-M.
Last year, iWire Global announced it would invest $34 million in the region to support its expansion in the IoT sector. The press statement said it is to play an “essential role” to ensure “interoperability among different wireless platforms by helping foster rising indigenous technology sectors”. In line with Unabiz’s developing modus operandi about multi-tech IoT development, the implication is Sigfox will not be the only tech to be engaged in their MEA IoT push.
The suggestion, as well, is that the pair are looking to sponsor grass-roots IoT developers in the MEA region, and that the partnership will also lean on (“closer alignment with regional IoT regulatory frameworks and requirements”) iWire’s political influence following its tech investment in the region. They highlighted their “joint efforts… to foster immediate collaboration to address the legislative framework imposed by regional regulatory authorities”.
Osama Qadan, chief executive at iWire Global, said: “The phase of deploying massive IoT technologies has already started in our region. iWire stands ready to capture this opportunity through strategic partnerships with companies like UnaBiz – which has solid financial backing, intimate knowledge of the IoT market, and proven successes in delivering massive projects. Addressing the regulatory requirements in the region will be key to the success of our expansion and that’s a key driver of iWire’s investment in the region over the coming period.”
Henri Bong, co-chief executive at UnaBiz, said: “UnaBiz is pleased to kick off our partnership with iWire Global and continue our support in terms of network operations and services to their customers in the MEA region. As a technology owner, IoT solution provider and integrator, we can deeply relate to the challenges our partners face in complying with local regulations and data security guidelines. UnaBiz is committed to addressing these requirements and helping our customers accelerate their adoption of digital solutions.”
