CH network for Internet of Things is live

The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking over everyday life: fitness wristbands, networked weather stations, IP cameras and sensors. Conceptually, this is nothing new; devices have been networked for years. What is new, however, is that this is happening via a uniform IP basis, wirelessly, energy-efficiently and cost-effectively, as Swisscom writes. It has developed the Low Power Network, a network for the Internet of Things in Switzerland, went into operation.

First application examples

Early pioneers have worked with the vendor to develop and test new applications. A few examples: Mobiliar Insurance's Findme tracker tracks items such as bunches of keys, bicycles or luggage. VonRoll hydro is testing LPN sensors to check manhole covers or to detect water leaks in manholes and quickly display the data on its Hydroport portal. Migros is testing a platform that better allocates meeting rooms by capturing effective rather than booked occupancy. With additional sensors, the system ensures that cooling or lighting is only provided when someone is in the roomSet. The startup Tecsag from central Switzerland is testing a tracker for farm animals (www.alptracker.com). This means that even on remote alpine pastures, every animal can be found and monitoring provides a more accurate picture of herd behavior. Entsorgung & Recycling Stadt Zürich tracks the locations and transport routes of large containers. These are just a few examples of the more than 30 pilot projects, as Swisscom writes.

The company is open to partnerships. Partners could either contribute their own sites for network densification or contribute their expertise in solution design. The telecommunications company plans to open a Low Power Network Experience Center in Zurich at the end of the year, which will make LPN, hardware and application possibilities tangible and enable an exchange with experts.

Info: www.swisscom.ch/lpn