The telco said more than 30 companies are already hosting trials on the IoT network
Swisscom announced that its LoRa-based IoT network already covers 75% of the country’s population.
The network uses technology based on the Low Power Wide Area Network standard from the LoRa Alliance, which Swisscom joined in January 2015.
Swisscom also said that it is on track to cover 80% of the population as well as cover all major cities by the end of the year.
The low power network operates on the non-licensed SRD band and transmits information at a maximum of 0.5 watts.
The Swiss telco also said more than 30 companies are hosting pilot projects on the network.
“When discussing the internet of things, many customers wonder whether it is really an issue for them. A few months later, they are launching their first networked products,” Swisscom’s head of Product Management for Mobile Business Services and IoT Jaap Vossen said.
Swisscom also confirmed plans to open an experience center in Zurich to showcase this new technology by the end of the year.
Swisscom initially launched commercial LTE services in November 2012 through spectrum in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.
Vodafone Germany completes upgrade of LTE network to improve services along train routes
In other EMEA news, Vodafone Germany said it has completed the works to upgrade its network to provide LTE coverage along all Deutsche Bahn (DB) high-speed train routes in Germany.
The German telco said that all 2,600 base stations along ICE routes now offer LTE coverage. Vodafone also said that a faster LTE service dubbed ‘Datenturbo LTE’ is currently available along 90% of the main ICE routes.
Vodafone also said it is also working to provide coverage of LTE technology in train tunnels. The telco said that these works will be fully completed during 2017.
Deutsche Bahn is also working to install new mobile repeaters on its trains by the end of 2018 to improve the service currently offered to customers.
