Boston Networks, the Glasgow-headquartered smart integrated solutions business has launched the UK’s most advanced Internet of Things (IoT) network – fittingly at Glasgow Science Centre.
IoT Scotland is said to provide a wide area wireless sensor network for applications and services to collect data from devices and send that data without the need for cellular or Wi-Fi, supporting businesses to develop new and innovative applications, changing the way they work.
The six-million-pound network, which will work via 500 LoRa (Long Range) wireless gateways situated throughout Scotland, is part funded by £2.7 million from the Scottish Government, with further support from Scottish Enterprise, Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and private sector investment from Boston Networks itself.
At the launch it was announced that Glasgow will be over 99% covered via 22 gateways which are being installed across the city – which, the company says, makes it the most LoRa covered city in the UK, with the potential to become the smartest.
Argyll and Bute Council has also signed up as an early adopter which is said to see early installations in Oban and Helensburgh, and negotiations are also said to be underway with other local councils and other organisations throughout the country with a full roll-out planned by March 2021. Boston Networks will install and manage all of these devices.
IoT Scotland promises to enable businesses and public sector organisations to monitor and potentially control the status, efficiency and productivity of their assets and equipment, scheduling maintenance and improving production.
Boston Networks Chief Technology Officer, Falk Bleyl comments, “We are excited to be leading this pioneering project to build and operate the IoT network and drive the commercialisation of the Internet of Things across Scotland.
“There will be a forecasted 25 billion IoT devices connected by 2025, and only a small number will be connected to the internet using 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi. LoRa networks like IoT Scotland are going to become increasingly important – they have the potential to be as disruptive to businesses as the internet has been already to our daily lives.
“IoT Scotland will be the most advanced in the UK, can revolutionise the use of smart technologies and will be rolled out in cities, towns and rural areas across the country. It allows a wide range of users, from public sector organisations to small IoT start-ups to multinationals to focus on the deployment of sensors and applications, rather than network build.
“There is already interest from other parts of the UK in what we’re doing here in Scotland, and there is potential for us to roll-out similar infrastructure elsewhere.”
