SIGFOX, T-Mobile and Blue Cell partner for a new Czech IoT wireless network

T-Mobile and Blue Cell Network are partnering with SIGFOX to bring a wireless network dedicated to the Internet of Things to the Czech Republic. The network will operate on T-Mobile-managed base stations in Prague and, after the pilot project, the three partners will decide whether or not they will gradually roll out the SIGFOX global network across the entire Czech Republic.

“We see the future in the Internet of Things – basically any device or object will be able to transmit information via the Internet, which will facilitate a number of everyday activities and increase their efficiency,” says Milan Hába, innovations director at T-Mobile, adding: “Therefore we have teamed up with Blue Cell Network to introduce the SIGFOX network, which has been proven in other countries to be one of the world’s best IoT solutions, in the Czech Republic.”

Unlike systems that are still in the development stage, SIGFOX’s Ultra Narrow Band (UNB) technology for connecting devices provides scalable, long-range, two-way connectivity and very high capacity.  The network complements existing high-bandwidth cellular systems, which are designed for the data-intensive needs of smartphones and other mobile electronics. It installs on standard cell towers and provides economical, energy-efficient transmission of small quantities of data over long distances, thus lowering barriers to wide implementation of IoT and M2M solutions, and greatly extending the battery and service life of connected devices.

Rodolphe Baronnet-Frugès
Rodolphe Baronnet-Frugès

The pilot operation is designed to sample the technological and practical possibilities of SIGFOX’s technology. The pilot operation will run on real devices in a real environment (for instance, monitoring will include railway cars, available parking spaces and a number of other applications).

Following the pilot project, T-Mobile, Blue Cell Network and SIGFOX will decide whether to deploy the network across the entire Czech Republic. Initial results of the project will be reported this summer, when the three companies will also provide a live demo of the individual applications.

“The SIGFOX network is already operating or being deployed in more than a dozen European countries and major cities,” said Rodolphe Baronnet-Frugès, executive vice president international business development at SIGFOX. “We are excited to bring the benefits of cost-effective and energy-efficient Internet of Things connectivity to the Czech Republic.”

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