Altice N.V. an international telecom and media group, its subsidiary SFR, the second-largest French global telco, and SIGFOX, a provider of global communication services for the Internet of Things (IoT), are to integrate SIGFOX connectivity in the group’s service offering.
Altice customers and divisions in France and internationally will benefit from SIGFOX Connectivity, which complements the group’s telecom offer.
This strategic partnership launches a collaboration of three players that share the same ambitions: to offer complementary connectivity solutions starting today that democratise the IoT in all sectors of the economy and expand the offer of connected solutions for businesses and consumers.
With its focus on investing in growth, Altice is building an international group based on the convergence of mobile and fixed high-speed networks with media, content and platform services in Western Europe (comprising France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland), the United States, Israel, and the Overseas Territories (currently comprising the French Caribbean, the Indian Ocean regions and the Dominican Republic).
SIGFOX, whose network is deployed in 14 countries and already registers more than 7 million devices, offers an energy-efficient, two-way global communication solution for the millions of sensors waiting to be connected.
“We are convinced that the IoT market is an opportunity to seize now, with a global vision,” said Michel Combes, COO of Altice, chairman and CEO of SFR. “We are talking about billions of connections. We share the same entrepreneurial vision with SIGFOX and the will to conquer new markets. The availability of the SIGFOX network allows us to bring new Internet of Things solutions to our B2B clients.”
“SIGFOX has always been convinced that the IoT requires a new type of connectivity solution, and that our offer would not compete with services offered by cellular operators,” said Ludovic Le Moan, CEO of SIGFOX. “We are excited and proud to join Altice and its founder Patrick Drahi, to share this vision, and especially to realise the ambition to make the IoT a major activity for the development of both companies.”
In France, where the network already covers 92% of the population, this partnership will allow the customers of SFR, the first operator to launch the fourth generation (4G) of mobile telecom technology in France and an expert in M2M solutions, to benefit from the best of the two offers: high bandwidth and low bandwidth. SFR clients will use SIGFOX connectivity as a complement to existing connectivity solutions, such as 4G or WiFi.
In 2016, SIGFOX plans to cover more than 30 countries with its network. The partnership with Altice will extend in all territories where the group is present, including Portugal with Portugal Telecom, the U.S. and Israel.
The Internet of Things addresses all business sectors and has opened a new space that will help launch many startups. This collaboration will extend this innovation ecosystem and will help develop the supply of connected solutions in multiple sectors, such as industry, agriculture, healthcare, transportation and security.
In France, SIGFOX supports a startup community within the IoT Valley and its accelerator, the Connected Camp, which has around 30 startups today. This community is getting stronger everyday through meetings with developers organised by SIGFOX, and the Makers Tours in France and internationally.
Today, there are more than 100 connected devices compatible with the SIGFOX network and Altice will help grow this portfolio with the help of its industrial clients and the startups supported by SIGFOX.
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