Thinxtra, the licenced Sigfox LPWAN network operator for Australia, New Zealand and several Asian countries, and its New Zealand partner, Kordia, say they have now established Sigfox coverage of 88 percent of the NZ population, and full coverage of Massey University campuses.
They say they are hoping to have one million devices using the network within three years.
Kordia — which operates the transmission networks for most of New Zealand’s TV services – was named as Thinxtra’s preferred partner for the rollout of its NZ Sigfox network and a reseller of services on the network in April 2016, shortly after New Zealand listed company, Rakon, boosted an earlier investment in Thinxtra to $A5.8m taking its share to 63.8 percent.
Kordia says coverage now extends from Invercargill to Whangarei following extension of South Island coverage to Ashburton, Oamaru and Timaru and is in the process of deploying the network in Queenstown.
Massey Uni in school zone trial
It says Auckland Transport in conjunction with Massey University and Auckland-based industrial design company Motiv are trialling using the network for the control and monitoring of school zone road signs.
“The University was first connected in 2016 and is the first university on both sides of the Tasman to have full Sigfox coverage,” Kordia said. “It now has coverage at all its campuses and has partnered with Thinxtra to develop IoT solutions.”
Associate professor Johan Potgieter said a trial was underway at three schools. “Controlling the school signs used to rely on a manual operation, often by the school’s receptionist, over a short range RF link,” he explained.
“There was no visibility on the status of the signs, which often relied on the public or school to report their condition. Now the signs are connected to the Sigfox network, real-time information on their status and full control and monitoring is now available on a web application.”
Thinxtra and Kordia say they are “working with a range of ecosystem partners on solutions that include agriculture, asset tracking, service-on-demand, road infrastructure and natural resource use cases.”
