Bouygues Telecom has set up a dedicated Internet of Things subsidiary to focus on LoRa technology.
The 20-strong Objenious team will initially focus on the LoRa network Bouygues has rolled out to 15 of France’s biggest cities. The network will cover half of France’s population by mid-2016 with plans to have 4,000 base stations installed and full population coverage by the end of the year.
Objenious said it would cover “every segment” of the IoT value chain, from sensors and data management collaboration with start-ups.
The unit will unveil a range of B2B and B2C services in the coming weeks, ranging from fleet management, smart meters, predictive maintenance and geolocation.
Among the businesses already working with Objenious is Wistiki, a French start-up focusing on the geolocation of everyday objects, including keys, wallets and baggage, as well as pets.
Used-clothes specialist Ecotextile is using LoRa to optimise its collections from drop-off points. The first pilot will take place in Issy-les-Moulineaux, south of Paris.
Stéphane Allaire, Chairman of Objenious, said: “We have signed partnerships with some of France’s leading IoT players. Major industrial groups of course, but also start-ups that are making their mark, either in sensors or business applications. We have thus become a key player based on a national LoRa network and an IoT platform that is now ready to host our customers.”
Rival Orange is also launching a LoRa-based network to cover metropolitan France this year. The operator said it would use the network to enable health, connected home, and smart cities services.
The two companies are currently in talks about a possible merger.