The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has announced a world first with the completion of a phase-one trial of Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure and services at the Mettis Aerospace factory in the UK. Tests included applications of 4K video streaming, large scale file transfers, messaging and voice/video communications as well as the first stage of IoT sensor and mixed (augmented) reality testing. In partnership with Cisco, Broadcom, iBwave, Intel and other WBA members, speeds of 700Mbps using 80MHz channels were achieved and low latency applications, like video calling/streaming, showed results below 6ms, demonstrating Wi-Fi 6’s capability to operate in the presence of interference and noise in a complex and challenging factory environment as well as deliver high quality services for real-time equipment monitoring and maximising machinery performance, minimising downtime, and improving communications on the factory floor, the WBA’s press release announced (see WBA website link below for more information).
A study from Mastercard says that this year the number of transactions via wearable devices in Europe has increased eight-fold, with the Netherlands accounting for 33% of European transactions, followed by the UK (18%), Switzerland (8%) and Russia (7%). Globally, Australia was top of the list, but the US appeared only in eighth place, with all other countries in the top ten European. Wearable payment devices include watches, bands, bracelets and rings.
UK-based IoT satellite provider Lacuna Space and Swiss IoT device specialist Miromico are collaborating on ‘off-the-shelf’ devices to support Lacuna’s LoRa-based satellite IoT services, lining up enterprise clients in agriculture, environmental monitoring and asset tracking. The first phase of the deployment of the Lacuna Network will be its constellation of 36 small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) by the end of 2022. Devices on the Lacuna Network will seamlessly integrate with any LoRaWAN network on the ground within reach, a press release stated.
Singapore-based Blue Wireless has expanded its Asia-Pacific 4G LTE enterprise data plan to 18 countries, offering low-cost, high speed data for IoT and business applications. Blue says it offers unlimited data without speed throttling or limitations imposed on traveller roaming data, with a Shared Data Pool enabling enterprises to activate as many SIM cards as needed into a single pool and access a single data rate across all 18 countries including ‘traditionally expensive roaming destinations’ Vietnam, Myanmar and Russia.
Mobile operator Tele2 Russia has inked an IoT/M2M-focused MVNO agreement with satellite navigation provider GLONASS, supporting the latter’s work with emergency response systems and cargo monitoring services.
POST Luxembourg is providing M2M connectivity, IoT management and analytics services to Ujet for the latter’s electric scooter project, which the partners hope will ‘redefine urban mobility’. POST currently has over 1.6 million IoT devices across all continents using its M2M SIM cards.
Brazilian R&D organisation Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Telecomunicacoes (CPQD) has won approval and funding from the National Bank for Economic & Social Development (BNDES) for a Smart Cities IoT project in Campinas, involving development of IoT applications in public safety (surveillance and monitoring), mobility (including vehicle and licence plate recognition), energy efficiency and civil defence (including microclimate measurement in urban areas through compact, connected weather stations integrated with river level sensors).
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