In conjunction with Connected Finland, SIGFOX has announced the extension of its global Internet of Things (IoT) network throughout Finland by 2017. The fast rollout, which makes Finland the 19th country to have SIGFOX’s dedicated IoT network, will provide coverage to the nation’s largest cities by summer of 2016 and coverage for 85 percent of the population by spring 2017.
Registering more than 7 million devices in its network with a footprint on all continents, SIGFOX is rapidly establishing one global, seamless network that provides simple, ubiquitous, energy-efficient connectivity for billions of connected devices that will make up the vast majority of the IoT. In the past 12 months alone, the company has added 14 countries to its global coverage map. By the end of 2016, SIGFOX plans to cover more than 30 countries with its network.
Connected Finland’s founders Markku Patronen, Marko Vanninen and Tom Lindblad have extensive network operator background. They also bring experience in hardware sales and development companies, software and hosting services, consulting and entrepreneurship.
“Finland is one of the world’s most competitive economies, with a strong focus on innovation and adopting new technologies in such fields as electronics and telecommunications,” said Rodolphe Baronnet-Frugès, SIGFOX executive vice-president networks & operators. “This positions the country to become a European leader in terms of quick adoption of the IoT and invention of exciting new applications for industry, business and personal use. We have seen this entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated strongly by our partners Connected Finland.”
As a SIGFOX Network Operator, Connected Finland is backed by well-known industrial investors and a group of private angel investors committed to quickly add Finland to the world’s fastest-emerging, mass-market IoT network.
“There is a very clear and urgent need in Finland for SIGFOX’s energy-efficient and low-cost IoT solution, which can open a huge number of exciting new use cases in sectors such as insurance, smart cities, smart buildings, and asset tracking, safety and security, transportation and industry,” said Patronen.
Vanninen added, “Connected Finland’s partnership with SIGFOX will also provide many unique opportunities for Finnish device-and-solution providers to create new use cases that can extend the benefits of the IoT across Finnish society and in all sectors of the economy. Our partner Helsinki Ventures is already facilitating a developer program in Finland, enabled by SIGFOX’s connectivity solution.”