By 2020, IoT product and service suppliers will be looking at $300 billion in incremental revenue, with up to 25% of those services likely to be delivered over LPWAN. Start-ups looking to capitalise on this exciting opportunity need to move quickly if they are to create the next generation of IoT products, services and applications and gain a foothold in the market.
WND UK wants to ensure that start-ups and SMEs have the right tools and the right technology in place to fuel their creativity, which is why – starting today – we will provide start-ups with the LPWAN network access they need for the prototyping of new products and services; absolutely free of charge.
Why are we doing this?
Creativity requires taking risks, breaking rules and making mistakes. To truly innovate, you need to be given the space to experiment. Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, said it best in a recently aired BBC programme. Bezos, who also founded aerospace company Blue Origins, drew some interesting parallels between his online retail empire and his desire to drive innovation in commercial space flight.“Thousands of companies and tens of thousands of start-ups have been doing interesting things online,” Bezos said. “The reason that could happen is because they didn’t have to [worry about] the heavy lifting infrastructure. Twenty years ago, I was driving the packages to the post office myself, but I didn’t have to build the Internet – it already existed; and I didn’t have to figure out how to transport parcels – there was the postal service.”
“When heavy infrastructure is already in place, then the creativity of thousands of people can be unleashed.”
At WND UK, we believe the same is true of the Internet of Things. In order for real creativity to be unleashed, start-ups first need access to the necessary heavy infrastructure. Innovation is – all too often – crushed by concerns over financial viability and access to resources. Businesses looking to capitalise on IoT need a network to develop, experiment, build and test on. They shouldn’t be shackled by the expense of building and maintaining that network. That is why we are offering start-ups and small businesses with a proof of concept project, the network access they need to begin using the Sigfox network – free of charge.
Does ‘free’ really mean ‘free’?
It certainly does. No small print, no subscriptions, no maintenance charges – it is all free in the purest sense of the word.
Successful applicants who don’t have access to the Sigfox network will receive the Sigfox gateways for free, installation for free and network maintenance for free. We will install gateways on a suitable site anywhere in the UK. WND UK will also provide you with connectivity – up to 100 device subscriptions – completely free of charge. That’s more than enough to allow you to develop and test your ideas.
And once your proof of concept is ready for prime time, you don’t need to do anything to maintain your connectivity – you will already be on the UK’s most advanced, fully supported LPWAN network.
What if we’ve already started developing for LoRa devices?
Switching from LoRa is becoming increasingly straightforward as device vendors continue to offer hybrid solutions that incorporate multiple standards. For example, device manufacturer Murata now offers a dual mode RF module that supports both LoRa and Sigfox using the same chipset; just a firmware change to swap between the two. GCT Semiconductor recently announced highly integrated single chip GDM7243I will support LTE Category M1/NB1/EC-GSM and Sigfox wireless IoT connectivity.
By switching your project to Sigfox you will also benefit from lower device costs. You can now source a Sigfox chipset for less than £1, whereas the LoRa equivalent costs around 4x more.
How do we apply?
All you need to do is get in touch and you will be on your way. You focus on innovating and leave the rest to us.
