Australian infrastructure provider Thinxtra will roll out an Internet of Things (IoT) network in Hong Kong next year.
Working with connectivity provider Sigfox, the company will deploy a low-power wide-area (LPWA) network that allows devices to connect across a wider distance with minimal energy use. It is Thinxtra’s first market foray outside of Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re bringing our expertise and experience to Hong Kong to support its ongoing transformation into a smart city and a leader in IoT adoption and development,” says Thinxtra Asia MD Murray Hankinson.
“We also see great potential for Hong Kong to be a world-leading design and manufacturing hub for IoT innovation, and we’re investing here to support this growth.”
Thinxtra is working with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park on research and development to design devices and sensors for IoT, which is the networking of everyday objects, vehicles, buildings and devices.
Hankinson says the IoT network in Hong Kong could be deployed for a variety of markets, including buildings, the environment and even utilities. For example, sensors could be installed at car parks to monitor the number of available parking lots, or used to monitor water and electricity.
Such devices would cost less than US$30 to run each year, and have battery life of up to 10 years, he says. IoT devices and software developed in Hong Kong could be exported to international markets.