LIVE FROM SIGFOX CONNECT, SINGAPORE: Proprietary IoT vendor Sigfox unveiled plans to launch and sell private area networks (PAN) in 65 countries next year.

The announcement was made by CEO and co-founder Ludovic Le Moan (pictured) who said beta trials will take place in the company’s native France in Q1 before rollout. Smart home and city solution providers will be “among the first to benefit,” said Le Moan.

Its PAN network will differ from previous efforts in the Wide Area Network (WAN) space, where the vendor is on track to connect 16 million devices by the end of the year.

In a press roundtable, COO Franck Siegel noted smart city projects are more advanced in Asian and Middle Eastern countries due to urbanisation, resulting in more new buildings that can be equipped with IoT devices with less red tape. He highlighted rental fees and heritage sites as big hurdles for IoT deployment in Europe.

“Smart Cities in Europe are slow in development compared to Asia and the Middle East where now we’re seeing more and more development of new buildings. In European cities we can dig into the ground a little and find a historical monument which obviously ceases operations”, said Siegel.

Come fly with me
The company also announced it has partnered with travel technology firm Amadeus to develop asset tracking products to launch in airports and airlines next year, and eventually the hospitality sector.

“Sigfox technology is unique in its ability to track objects seamlessly across the globe, and at such a low cost. Combining Amadeus expertise and partners’ network in travel with Sigfox technology, we can enable luggage tracking at a price which is within what consumers are ready to pay for, and thus bring peace of mind to billions of travellers,” said Marion Mesnage, Amadeus head of research, innovation and ecosystems.