UPC Switzerland will launch Wi-SUN-based IoT services after striking a partnership with Swiss energy technology specialist Elektron.
UPC did not offer up much detail on the nature of the IoT services it intends to launch, but its partnership with a player like Elektron means its Wi-SUN offering will be firmly targeted at energy companies and municipalities.
“We are convinced that Wi-SUN is the perfect companion to UPC’s powerful broadband infrastructure,” said Enrico Baumann, CEO of Elektron. “As the Swiss market leader in street lighting, we see a great opportunity for energy suppliers to create their own IoT network with the Wi-SUN technology and operate smart metering and smart lighting independently and irrespective of manufacturer.”
Stephan Ging, Director of Solution Business Sales and IoT expert at UPC, said: “I am delighted that together with Elektron we are able to launch what is currently the best IoT communications solution in Switzerland.”
Wi-SUN, or Wireless Smart Ubiquitous Networks, to give it its full title, is an IEEE-based mesh networking standard suitable for providing LPWAN connectivity to devices like energy meters, parking and traffic management systems, and street lighting. It supports a maximum throughput of 300 Kbps, and latency as low as 0.02 seconds.
Promoted by the Wi-SUN Alliance, there are currently 89 million Wi-SUN devices worldwide. Until recently, the Wi-SUN Alliance focused mainly on the Americas and Asia. However, the industry body last year told Mobile Europehow it intends to tackle the European market.