San Francisco,Oct. 29, 2015: The City of San Francisco and SIGFOX have decided to partner and deploy a dedicated Internet of Things (IoT) network that will provide low-cost, energy-efficient and two-way connectivity for smart-city programs, as well as businesses across verticals.
A SIGFOX press release said San Francisco would become the first of 10 US cities in which SIGFOX would deploy its network by Q1 2016. SIGFOX, whose technology was already FCC certified, was currently operating or being deployed in 10 European countries and registers over 5 million objects in its network. By providing a disruptively cost-effective, energy-efficient and simple way to connect the physical world to the Internet, SIGFOX tech enabled the IoT industry to connect large volumes of devices.
“The next wave in technology innovation in San Francisco will likely be the Internet of Things,” said Miguel A. Gamiño Jr., San Francisco’s Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of the Department of Technology. “This new network reinforces San Francisco’s commitment to attracting startups and established companies in the emerging IoT space. It also allows the City to offer residents innovative new services and positions San Francisco as the leading smart city in the US”.
The IoT links physical objects embedded with sensors and actuators to the Internet. It allows the “things” to exchange data and communicate with each other, allowing a smoke alarm to send a text when the alarm goes off or it has a low battery; a tracker to locate a stolen bicycle; among others.
“If the last 10 years of technology development were about making it easier for companies and people to exchange information with one another—Google, Skype, Dropbox, and so on—the next 10 years will be about making it possible, cost effective and easy for the unconnected physical world to transmit data to the Internet,” said Allen Proithis, President of SIGFOX North America.
“The Internet of Things can bring new opportunities to San Francisco—the Innovation Capital of the World,” said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. “Creating a network of this kind, the City will be able to attract new startup companies, strengthen existing businesses and provide more jobs, economic growth and continuing prosperity for our residents.”
The pilot plan in San Francisco will be executed through collaboration between the Department of Technology, the Mayor’s Office of Innovation, the San Francisco Public Library, and other critical leadership.
Image Credit: SIGFOX