July 20, 2016 (Sydney, Australia): Meshed a Sydney based IoT integrator, in partnership with The Things Network (TTN) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have today launched a public access Internet Of Things (IoT) low power, long range wide area network (LPWAN) for Sydney.

 

The Sydney Community IoT Network will enable any-one within range of the Sydney gateway/s to connect their device to the internet for free, without the use of Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other wireless technologies.

 

The network is based on the open standard technology, LoRaWAN^TM which uses the 915MHz Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) wireless spectrum band. LoRaWAN^TM is fast becoming an important low cost connectivity option to support the anticipated explosion in connected devices and smart sensor networks for smart cities, smart living, asset management, energy metering, water management, industry 4.0, smart farming and environmental monitoring.

 

More than 14 billion devices are connected to the internet world-wide, with a forecast to grow to over 26 billion connected units by 2020 and – possibly 1 trillion by 2035 (McKinsey 2015). Research undertaken by the IoT Alliance Australia has revealed $116 billion of potential upside to the Australian economy by 2025.

 

The Things Network kick-starter campaign, started in Amsterdam in October 2015, with the mission to build an open, free and decentralized internet of things network. TTN is now a thriving global community network with city-wide community gateways being deployed in cities such as Amsterdam, New York, Zurich, Madrid, San Francisco, San Paulo, London and Singapore.

 

Meshed is the initiator for the Sydney community IoT network. The model adopted by Meshed allows companies and communities to deploy their own IoT data networks at a fraction of the cost of alternative IoT carrier networks.

 

Catherine Caruana-McManus, Director of Strategy and Sales for Meshed has been instrumental in promoting strong collaborations with leading universities and cities. “Free to use, community IoT networks are “democratising the internet of things” by enabling communities and city and industry leaders to get real-time data about the things that matter most to them in order to take action faster.” Ms Cauana-McManus said.

 

UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Glenn Wightwick said the project was infused with the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration now thriving in Sydney, embraced by government, university researchers, creative tech startups and leading business innovators.

 

“The opportunity for UTS to work with Meshed and the IoT Alliance to enable connectivity for an Internet of Things innovation platform for developers, entrepreneurs and businesses was too good to miss,” Professor Wightwick said.

 

“UTS involvement commenced with extensive discussions between ISF and Faculty of Engineering and IT research staff and Meshed colleagues. The outcomes benefit not only local business, but also students and researchers installing, receiving feedback and publishing data from low cost sensors to support smart city, precinct and campus applications.” Profession Wightwick said.

 

 

Andrew Tovey, CEO for the Total Environment Centre based in Darlinghurst, Sydney, is enthusiastic about the initiative. “LORA-enabled environmental data networks, capable of providing real-time information about the health of our urban environment, are a revolutionary new technology poised to significantly transform environmental advocacy, empower communities and positively influence urban planning decisions.” Mr Tovey said.

 

Andrew Maggio, Director of Technology for Meshed, is excited about interoperability and flexibility of LoRaWAN^TM. “LoRaWAN^TM has greatly simplified the way devices connect to the web. Together with The Things Network, it has enabled the creation of new solutions that were previously not possible.” Mr Maggio said.

 

For further information about Community IoT Networks please contact Catherine Caruana-McManus at Catherine@meshed.com.au or place post on facebook.com/meshedaustralia.

 

About Meshed

Meshed is a Sydney based IoT integration services that helps its clients to improve their customer service and business profitability through rapid deployment of innovative technology solutions in the areas of industrial m2m, smart cities, smart energy and environment and intelligent asset management. Meshed is an active member of the IoTAA (www.iot.org.au) and provides education and community enablement in IoT.