The Chatham Islands form an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 800 kilometres east of the South Island of New Zealand. They have officially been part of New Zealand since 1842 and includes the country’s easternmost point. So when world-leading Sigfox IoT global network comes to mind, you might not necessarily think of the Chatham Islands as part of it.
It consists of about ten islands within a 40-kilometre radius, the largest of which is Chatham Island where Thinxtra installed the base station as the sole wireless connectivity on the island for the 600 residents (excluding the birds!).
The Chatham Islands’ new network is a ‘game-changer’ for businesses and residents living on the islands. “The Internet of Things solution being trialled on the Chathams has potential to deliver considerable benefits in a wide range of environments,” comments Chatham Island Trust Enterprise CEO Iain Torrance says. “For example, we are piloting the vehicle tracking capabilities of the Wireless Nation’s GPS unit, the Fox Tracker, with a view to using it to help with safety of our lone workers.” This will also enable businesses and residents to track their assets such as boats for greater peace of mind.
Wireless Nation, Thinxtra’s partner in New Zealand, Zariff Ali says the network will also offer new economic opportunities. “The IoT network deployment will change the way the locals live each day by enabling them to get feedback from the natural resources they rely on as their main source of income,” Ali explains. “Things like temperature sensors, humidity sensors, soil moisture probes, and rain gauges can become invaluable tools to smart resource management and efficiency when they’re connected to the internet.”
“The rollout on the Chatham Islands is a great demonstration of the work we can do to bring rural New Zealand into the 21st Century,” Miro Sudzum, Wireless Nation marketing manager, says.
Whether it’s for farming or fishing, the Chatham Islands have now entered a new era of productivity and safety thanks to the Thinxtra’s Sigfox IoT network.
Special thanks to Sarah Baker from Channel Life NZ for contributing to this story.
About Thinxtra
Thinxtra is empowering the Internet of Things by operating the first nationwide LPWA networks in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong (based on Sigfox connectivity technology) as well as enabling and promoting a full eco-system of partners that provide IoT solutions and services to increase efficiencies, accelerate decision making, improve quality of service and quality of life (to humans and animals), and find more economical solutions to common problems.
Thinxtra is leading this IoT revolution, by connecting the un-connected, for a more sustainable future.
PR Contact: Renald Gallis – VP Marketing +61 404 894 960 [email protected]
