Orange opts for low power wide area IoT network
Orange is to invest in a new Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) network to support IoT in addition to its cellular network in metropolitan France. LPWA is a narrow-band technology that guarantees connectivity at a reduced energy consumption rate and at a lower cost.
A part of its Essentials2020 strategy, IoT is a focus area for Orange, which plans to generate €600 million in revenue by 2018. After nearly a decade of experience as an operator in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications with its 2G/3G/4G networks, Orange is now broadening its connectivity offer and preparing for the future of the IoT. A network based on LPWA technology is especially useful for connecting sensors in smart cities. Orange is also continuing the work on the standardisation of future cell networks (2G/4G) for IoT, which will be operational in 2017 and for 5G by 2022.
Stéphane Richard, the chief executive officer of Orange, said: “The development of the Internet of Things is expected to surge in the coming years. By 2020, we believe that there will be more than 25 billion objects connected in the world. As a part of our new strategic plan Essentials2020, Orange has an ambition to become the number one operator for the Internet of Things.”
“To answer all the needs, we decided, as a supplement to the cellular networks, to deploy a national network dedicated to objects that need narrow-band connectivity, and also to low energy consumption,” he added. “Beyond connectivity, Orange is also involved in the distribution of connected objects, in the aggregation and data processing stemming from these objects as well as proposing value-added services in the field of health and well-being, the connected home and smart cities.”
The new network will be operational from the first quarter of 2016 and progressively deployed nationwide. It will be used to transport communications from objects’ for Orange, its mass market and business customers. Orange has tested the technology by carrying out a large scale trial in Grenoble, involving more than 30 partners.
The objects have different connection requirements, which depend on the speeds, criticality and frequency of the information communicated. In order to ensure the development of these uses, Orange has chosen to invest in a range of solutions, to become an operator of the IoT, whatever the objects’ needs and whatever the technology used.