Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) subsidiary SqwidNet is looking to expand its Internet of things (IOT) network in SA.
Since its launch in November 2016, SqwidNet, a licenced Sigfox operator, has successfully started to deploy its ultra-narrowband IOT radio network in SA.
SqwidNet is a wholly owned subsidiary of DFA, SA's open-access fibre connectivity provider.
The company says the network is a critical component of the IOT ecosystem that enables low-cost, low-power, and highly secure connectivity for IOT data transmission upon which IOT devices, platforms, applications, and solutions can be developed.
SqwidNet coverage now spans eight metropolitan areas, namely Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, eThekwini, Mangaung, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, the City of Johannesburg, and the City of Cape Town.
According to SqwidNet, this represents around 38% of the South African population today, and the network will grow to cover over 85% of the South African population within the next year.
The network is being expanded to cover all the national roads as SqwidNet focuses on providing solutions to key verticals, including utilities, transport and logistics, security, supply chain, and retail services.
According to Reshaad Sha, CEO of SqwidNet, along with the rest of the world, SA is in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution in which contextual insight drives more efficient use of resources, including energy, water, and production and service capacity.
"IOT applications will also reshape business processes and operating models and has the potential to reduce business risk. Clearly, if South Africa desires to be a leading destination for business investment, we need to make available the technologies and services that will enable businesses to innovate and to realise operating models and cost structures that are globally competitive," says Sha.
"We are deploying a network that makes it possible for any industry to connect things, create value, and ultimately, enable innovation."