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Tasmania to become Australia’s first IoT-ready state

Announcement posted by PR Deadlines 25 May 2017

HOBART, May 25, 2017.  Tasmania is about to become Australia’s first state to be Internet of Things (IoT) ready. This was announced today by TasmaNet and Thinxtra who are building a dedicated IoT network that will cover 95 per cent of the population before year’s end.

The network will enable the use of devices such as smart meters, temperature probes for aquaculture, GPS trackers for agriculture assets, complete development kits with free connectivity for most schools and much more.

Thinxtra is deploying a nationwide wireless network dedicated to IoT using Sigfox technology. The agreement with TasmaNet is committed to rolling out up to 55 communications towers across Tasmania by Q3 2017. Hobart-based TasmaNet is providing access to its towers, its network for backhaul, and engineers for ongoing maintenance and support of the sensory network.

IoT devices work optimally and inexpensively on low bandwidth for short messages such as meter index readings, GPS position, temperature, movement, door open/close, vibration level and battery life status. Most IoT use cases require wireless sensors to send small messages, and many companies deploying connected objects over traditional networks are struggling with issues including steep pricing, high energy consumption and complexity of deployment and maintenance.

TasmaNet Managing Director, Joel Harris, said: “We approached Thinxtra as many of our customers in the aquaculture, farming and education spaces want to deliver solutions via sensory networks, but the lack of a suitable network has been holding back their projects.
“We invited Thinxtra to work with us to approach these markets, and the results are spectacular.”

Sam Sharief, Network Deployment Director for Thinxtra Pty Ltd, said: “Thanks to TasmaNet, Thinxtra will deploy a Sigfox-based network to cover over 95 per cent of Tasmania’s population, including all major cities, from Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, to Burnie and Ulverstone, making it the first Australian State to become fully IoT-ready. Thinxtra will also support TasmaNet for additional coverage in regional projects throughout the state.”

“Our low cost, low power, long range IoT network is perfect for deploying simple solutions to make cities smarter, agriculture more sustainable and industry more cost efficient. It can also be used for better monitoring of the exceptional Tasmanian environment, and provide solutions to reduce bush fires or control the quality of water in lakes and rivers.

TasmaNet’s Harris explains that information from countless IoT devices around the island state will turn up in the company’s Hobart data centre, ready for use by customers. 

“I cannot understate how big this is for Tasmania – it’s going to be huge,” he says.

The technology will facilitate the use of automated power meters. Harris also sees devices working with community support establishments, where care givers can wear devices to pick up information about patients’ whereabouts, wellbeing and distress. And alongside, he foresees TasmaNet putting in free or low cost equipment in schools, so they can do coding and develop their own sensors for whatever purpose they choose.  

About Thinxtra
Thinxtra is empowering the Internet of Things in Asia Pacific by deploying the world-leading Sigfox LPWA network as well as building a full eco-system of IoT solutions and services to enable the non-connected to connect, to increase productivity, accelerate decision making, improve quality of service and quality of life, and find more economical solutions to common problems.

Sigfox is the world’s leading provider of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). The company has built a global network to connect billions of devices to the Internet while consuming as little energy as possible, as simply as possible.

Sigfox’s unique approach to device-to-cloud communications addresses the three greatest barriers to global IoT adoption: cost, energy consumption, and global scalability. Thinxtra’s Sigfox network currently covers 71% of the population in Australia and 89% of the population in New Zealand and will start deployment in Hong Kong by June 2017. It will cover 95% of the population of those countries by the end of 2017.
Thinxtra was founded by IoT and network experts who share a common passion for connecting things to improve business processes and people lives. It is backed by NZX-listed high-tech company Rakon Limited, which has a history of innovation in communications technology going back some 50 years.

About TasmaNet
TasmaNet is a Tasmanian owned and operated digital services provider, specialising in licensed telecommunications and cloud services provision, focused on providing innovative and integrated telecommunications and ICT infrastructure solutions. Since 2004, TasmaNet has provided a range of premium data communication and data centre services to businesses, communities and consumers across Tasmania and mainland Australia.

TasmaNet’s local data centre and cloud services and facilities are key components of its five-year investment strategy. Leveraging TasmaNet’s sophisticated and integrated facilities, the company has created a Centre of Excellence for ICT organisations to test and pilot technology innovations in Tasmania and beyond. 

For more information
Joel Harris, Managing Director, TasmaNet
0435 145 294
Joel@tasmanet.com.au
 
Renald Gallis – VP Marketing and Ecosystem
+61 404 894 960
renald.gallis@thinxtra.com
 
David Frost, PR Deadlines, for TasmaNet
+61.2.4341 5021
davidf@prdeadlines.com.au