Kerlink, a global leader in Internet of Things network solutions, is partnering with CONNECT to deploy gateways for Pervasive Nation, Ireland’s Internet of Things testbed, based on LoRaWan™ low power, wide area network (LPWAN).
CONNECT was awarded €1.8 million by Science Foundation Ireland last year to build the as Pervasive Nation Internet of Things research testbed.
“Pervasive Nation is a resource for the Irish research community and is open to both academic and industrial researchers who want to test pre-commercial IoT ideas,” according to Dr Frank Smyth, Executive Director of CONNECT.
After a successful trial, CONNECT selected Kerlink as one of its LoRaWanTM gateway providers, and especially its WirnetTM Stations and WirnetTM IBTS products, for the new network which is being rolled-out initially at third level campuses across Ireland as part of a plan to provide nationwide IoT coverage. The procurement framework allows the network to scale up to 500 gateways nationwide.
“Kerlink WirnetTM Stations and WirnetTM IBTS are ideal for an IoT network like Pervasive Nation”, explained Yannick Delibie, Kerlink co-founder and CTIO. “When installed on a high point like a water tower, these base stations are able to establish bidirectional communication with several thousand smart devices with a range of several kilometers. They are particularly suited to the needs of Pervasive Nation’s Low Power Wide Area Network.”
Pervasive Nation is using LoRaWanTM technology, which offers the combined benefits of long battery life for sensors (up to ten years), long range coverage in license-free ISM spectrum (up to 15 kilometers), and lower cost for connected devices. This will pave the way for research & development activity for new applications and innovative services in fields such as smart agriculture, smart cities and smart health.
“The Internet of Things is a fast-moving research area,” according to Dr Frank Smyth, Executive Director of CONNECT, “and Pervasive Nation will provide the most advanced IoT technology. Our relationship with Kerlink, one of the founding members of the LoRa AllianceTM, allows us to deploy the latest gateway capabilities mixing performance, scalability and reliability. This is a crucial part of the network.”
Gartner predicts connected things will reach 20.8 billion by 2020, while IDC targets global IoT revenue at $7.065B for the same period. According to Forrester Research, key topics for public sector in 2020 will be security & surveillance, facility management and energy management. For LPWA specifically, ABI Research estimates that the total number of connections will reach 4 billion in 2025.
CONNECT is the world leading Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications. CONNECT is funded under the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres Programme and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund. We engage with over 35 companies including large multinationals, SMEs and start-ups. CONNECT brings together world-class expertise from ten Irish academic institutes to create a one-stop-shop for telecommunications research, development and innovation.
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