The University of Technology, Sydney is the first Australian university to get free access to Sigfox Internet of Things (IoT) global network in a new partnership with local telecommunications company Thinxtra.
Thinxtra is introducing the Smart University Partnership Program for tertiary institutions to accelerate the sector’s contribution to the development of IoT solutions for Smart Cities, industrial and agricultural applications. UTS is one of the first 5 universities in ANZ to be part of it. The antenna was installed today on the rooftop of UTS building 11.
The UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT (FEIT) is a world-leading university in IoT, big data analytics and Artificial Intelligence, hosting the Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IoTTA), and developing industry partnerships focused on technology solutions. Faculty academics, researchers and students will now have access to Sigfox IoT connectivity for the development of cutting edge IoT hardware and software applications (including cloud applications and big data analytics).
“Access provided by Thinxtra will benefit many R&D projects dedicated to helping Australian businesses to be faster, smarter and more agile, which will position Australia as a global leader in areas such as agritech, smart mining and logistics, infrastructure monitoring and asset management, and environmental and water monitoring,” said Hervé Harvard, Director of Prototyping, FEIT.
“There is an urgent need for deployment of digital transformative technologies to enable Australia’s traditional economic pillars to compete globally, to grow our knowledge economy and transform into a high-performing digital economy.”
“IoT has the potential to make a dramatic impact in a diverse range of fields over the next decade. This impact is expected to create a multi-billion-dollar industry,” said Professor Mehran Abolhasan, Global Big Data Technology Centre at UTS.
FEIT has recently established a new unit, UTS: Rapido, to help businesses of all size unlock the potential of the IoT. Rapido stands for rapid prototyping and will give industry partners access to an IoT team of UTS engineers and academics researching and developing product-focused technologies. The resources provided by the Thinxtra partnership will help drive innovative collaborations between industry and academe using IoT technology to transform practice and behaviours, disrupting many current traditional business models.
This includes the SME sector, which make up over 90% of all business in Australia.
Ian Burnett - Dean of UTS, Renald Gallis - Thinxtra, Herve Harvard - Director UTS:Rapido
“The Thinxtra partnership program will support and enable Australian innovation at its core – universities. Developing solutions in this environment will help fast-track Australia as a leader in the new digital economy. Access to a global IoT network such as Sigfox means Australian universities and businesses partnering with them through programs like Rapido can build solutions that can easily be globally exported,” said Renald Gallis of Thinxtra.
Thinxtra uses Sigfox technology, network infrastructure with immense scalability to connect millions of devices more easily and cheaply. It is very long range (up to 50km from gateway to device), ideal for wide coverage of regional and urban city areas, low cost in terms of connectivity and devices, and has very low power consumption (devices can last up to 15 years on small batteries).
About UTS:Rapido
Australian businesses interested in harnessing innovation can work with UTS:Rapido, for rapid prototyping, collaborative research to support innovation and development with businesses. More information at www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-engineering-and-information-technology/
UTS:Rapido Contact:
Hervé Harvard – Director of Prototyping – Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology UTS
[email protected] +61 2 9514 2429
UTS: Global Big Data Technology Centre
Prof Mehran Abolhasan- Deputy Head of School (Research) – Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology UTS
[email protected] +61 2 9514 2448
About Thinxtra
Thinxtra is empowering the Internet of Things in Asia Pacific by deploying the world-leading Sigfox LPWA network as well as building a full eco-system of IoT solutions and services to enable the non-connected to connect, to increase productivity, accelerate decision making, improve quality of service and quality of life, and find more economical solutions to common problems. Thinxtra’s Sigfox network currently covers 67% of the population in Australia and 85% of the population in New Zealand and will start deployment in Hong Kong early 2017. It will cover 95% of the population of those countries before the end of 2017. Thinxtra was founded by IoT and network experts who share a common passion for connecting things to improve business processes and people lives. It is backed by NZX-listed high-tech company Rakon Limited, which has a history of innovation in communications technology going back some 50 years.
Follow us on Twitter @Thinxtra.
Thinxtra Contact:
Renald Gallis – VP Marketing & Ecosystem
[email protected] +61 404 894 960
