The Sigfox network reaches 95 percent outdoor coverage island-wide, the first nationwide IoT network in Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE – 24 February 2017 – At UnaBiz’s inaugural UnaDay, ENGIE, Sigfox and UnaBiz today jointly announced that they have reached an important milestone in the deployment of the first Internet of Things (IoT) network in Singapore, achieving 95 percent outdoor coverage across the island. This network, which is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, will help improve energy efficiency, facility management and customer-centred solutions for businesses in the region with the capacity to support over 100 million connected devices while maintaining high network reliability and security.
The deployment of the IoT dedicated network, which runs on Sigfox’s low-power wide-area network (LPWAN), complements existing connectivity options by providing low-power, efficient and low-cost connectivity as a standard service. With a fully operational network for connected objects nationwide, UnaBiz is capping its network subscription fees at S$1 per month for businesses to access a data plan for devices to communicate up to 140 messages per day.
Henri Bong, CEO, UnaBiz said: “This is just the beginning- we have built an impressive ecosystem in a mere six months, a clear sign of an enormous appetite and an accelerating demand for IoT solutions in the local market. We are proud to kick off the IoT Revolution in Singapore with the goal of becoming the first Smart Nation in the world. We are confident that our strategy and solutions will soon be replicated across Asia and beyond.”
In 2015, ENGIE acquired a minority stake in Sigfox and established ENGIE M2M to act as the exclusive national network operator of Sigfox’s connectivity solution in Belgium. In other countries, ENGIE is also a user of Sigfox solution, for various projects that are currently being developed such as remote monitoring of boilers, metering in heat distribution and smart lighting.
Csilla Kohalmi-Monfils, Executive Vice President Strategy & New Business, ENGIE Asia Pacific said: “As the world gets increasingly digitalized and the rate of disruption accelerates, producers, consumers and marketplaces can exchange energy in the same way that we exchange information on the Internet. As part of the digital transformation strategy of ENGIE worldwide and in line with Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, our participation, together with our partners Sigfox and UnaBiz, will provide a highly reliable, power efficient and cost-effective connectivity solution for businesses to thrive in this digital economy.”
UnaBiz was awarded the Facilities-Based Operator (FBO) license to roll-out Sigfox’s IoT network by the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) in November 2016, and started installation of base stations soon after. The network now has 95 percent outdoor coverage, with full deployment to be finished in the third quarter of the year. Unlike traditional wireless networks, the Sigfox network requires lighter infrastructure, thus making it simpler and faster to install.
Christophe Fourtet, Co-Founder and Scientific Director, Sigfox said: “Our strategic partnership with ENGIE and UnaBiz allows us to bring our global network spanning 1.9 million square kilometres with a population of 486 million people in 31 countries to Asia. We are thrilled to connect Singapore to our secure global IoT network and deliver new opportunities for businesses to build applications, systems and smart city solutions that will drive Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative to the next level.”
UnaDay was attended by industry partners, government agencies and media, which also saw 36 ecosystem partners across various sectors participating in a signing of memorandum of understanding (MOU). Representatives from local tertiary institutions such as NUS Enterprise, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic were also present.
About ENGIE
ENGIE develops its businesses (power, natural gas, and energy services) around a model based on responsible growth to take on the major challenges of energy’s transition to a low-carbon economy: access to sustainable energy, climate-change mitigation and adaptation, and the rational use of resources. The Group provides individuals, cities and businesses with highly efficient and innovative solutions largely based on its expertise in four key sectors: renewable energy, energy efficiency, liquefied natural gas and digital technology. ENGIE employs 154,950 people worldwide and achieved revenues of €69.9 billion in 2015. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main international indices: CAC 40, BEL 20, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe, DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo (World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120 and France 20).
ENGIE is present in Singapore for over 20 years, where it employs around 1,600 employees. Besides offering energy efficiency and facility management services, ENGIE trades a wide range of energy financial products as well as LNG, conducts R&D projects and holds a 30 per cent stake in Senoko Energy, which is the largest electricity generator in the country.
About UnaBiz
UnaBiz is an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solutions company dedicated to accelerate the adoption of IoT worldwide. As the exclusive network operator of Sigfox’s low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) in Singapore and Taiwan, UnaBiz is the first Iot dedicated network operator in Asia to roll out a nationwide IoT network.
UnaBiz aims to shape the future by providing cost-effective and energy-efficient IoT solutions, that include wireless infrastructure, devices and more. This ubiquitous network will allow businesses to connect millions of devices simply, affordably and globally.
UnaBiz helps businesses collect and analyse data from millions of devices allowing businesses to maximise the efficiency of their resources and increase productivity, by facilitating detection and control of anomalies, accelerating resolution or even preventing them entirely. Our objective is to help businesses realise the true value and full potential of IoT.
