Naughten Switches on Ireland’s First National IoT Network
Left to right: 2rn Infrastructure Manager Kevin White, VT COO Will Ferguson, Minister Denis Naughten, 2rn Executive Director Mick Kehoe, VT CEO Mark Bannon and 2rn Commercial Manager John Clarke were on hand for the official switching on of Ireland’s first dedicated Internet of Things networks.
Athlone, 4th October 2016 – The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Mr Denis Naughten TD, officially switched on the State’s first Internet of Things (IoT) network in Athlone, Co Westmeath today. The network, which is owned by VT Networks, operates through 2rn’s national broadcast and telecommunications infrastructure, which gives it huge resilience, coverage and robustness. 2rn’s involvement has made the fast rollout of a nationwide IoT network possible.
2rn has struck a partnership with VT Networks, which Minister Naughten signed as part of the official switch on yesterday, Oct. 3. In exchange for shares in VT, 2rn provided expertise and use of its national network of broadcast towers, masts and infrastructure. This allowed VT to bring a SIGFOX network, valued at €10 million, to the entire country in a record-setting five months.
SIGFOX is a French technology company that has built the world’s largest dedicated network for low-power IoT devices. SIGFOX’s rapidly growing global network provides simple, reliable, energy-efficient and cost-effective connectivity for billions of objects that communicate small messages to the cloud, and which make up the vast majority of IoT use cases. With its unique offer, SIGFOX enables businesses to add new services with their products, allowing them to expand their business models and grow revenue.
Speaking at the switch on at a broadcast tower in Coolderry, Athlone, Minister Naughten said, “Ireland is a centre for innovation and our aim is to stay ahead of the curve. We could immediately see the benefit of having a nationwide network dedicated to IoT devices, covering both urban and rural areas, and hope this will help to cement our place as a country that is leading the way in Internet of Things development. We are delighted to be part of the drive towards innovation in Ireland alongside VT.”
“We could not have hoped for a better partner than 2rn to bring this new technology nationwide,” said VT CEO Mark Bannon. “Our partnership ensures businesses, homes and farms across the country will benefit from IoT.”
Dee Forbes, Director General, RTÉ, said: “I am delighted that 2rn has been able to assist in the deployment of Ireland’s first national IoT network, which will enable the important development and deployment of new products and services across rural and urban Ireland.”
“Our experience and knowledge within the connectivity space convinced us that bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds would require new forms of technology. We are proud to be partnering with VT Networks, and we share in the vision of helping Ireland become a global hub for IoT development,” said 2rn Managing Director Mick Kehoe.
About VT Networks
VT, which was founded in 2014, operates the SIGFOX network in Ireland, providing the country’s first commercial IoT network with its infrastructure partner 2rn. For more information, visit www.vtnetworks.ie. Or connect on social media at www.twitter.com/VTNetworks, https://www.facebook.com/vtnetworksiot/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/vt-networks.
About SIGFOX
SIGFOX is the world’s leading provider of dedicated connectivity for the Internet of Things. The company’s network complements existing high-bandwidth systems by providing simple, economical, energy-efficient two-way transmission of small quantities of data over long distances, thus lowering barriers to wide implementation of IoT solutions, and greatly extending the battery and service life of connected devices. Currently deployed or being rolled out in 24 countries and registering over 7 million devices in its network, SIGFOX is today the only commercially available, IoT-dedicated connectivity solution that guarantees a high level of service and reliability on an international scale. Corporate headquarters are in France, and the company has offices in Boston, Dubai, Madrid, Munich, San Francisco and Singapore. For more information, see www.SIGFOX.com and follow us on Twitter @SIGFOX.
About 2rn
Formerly RTÉNL, 2rn is a communication network operator in Ireland, with a substantial portfolio of developed mast and tower sites and in house engineering, planning, construction resources and capabilities. 2rn distributes and transmits the program services of RTÉ Radio and Television, TV3, TG4, and Today FM and provides transmission services to a number of local and regional radio broadcasters as well as site services to mobile telephone and broadband operators, private communications companies and the emergency services. For more information, visit www.2rn.ie.