LoRaWAN gateway in the centre of the city – The first step towards a smart city – Giessen?

News

With the installation of a LoRaWAN gateway, the City of Giessen is well on its way to becoming a smart city. The gateway has made it possible to provide real-time traffic information to citizens, direct drivers to available parking spaces, automatically alert waste collectors to empty waste containers, and remotely control streetlights saving on CO2 emissions. 

Whilst this is just the start of Giessen’s Internet of Things (IoT) journey, in time it will become more sustainable. This will improve even further the quality of life of its residents by optimising urban planning, mobility, administration and enabling local businesses.

“With LoRaWAN and IoT, urban infrastructures and businesses can communicate intelligently with each other by using small sensors,” says Ralf Schwoche, Head of Sales at melita.io. “In the long term, with more gateways, all of Hessen could benefit from this technology.”

Long Range Wide Area Network – LoRaWAN – is a radio technology that can be used to transmit data via wireless sensors in an energy-efficient, secure manner and over long distances. Thanks to simple installation requirements as well as its durability and low data bandwidth, the technology is particularly suitable for sensors. “Just as the Internet connects people, LoRaWAN can connect objects of all kinds. That’s why we call it The Internet of Things (IoT),” Schwoche explains.

LoRaWAN gateway in Giessen
LoRaWAN gateway in Giessen

“To be able to meet all user requirements, such as Germany-wide tracking of company-owned resources, a nationwide approach is necessary. This is one of the reasons why LoRaWAN is considered to be a basic building block for smart city applications in a networked region.”

Ralf Schwoche, Head of Sales at melita.io

“The bx-like LoRaWAN gateway that was set up in the centre of town last January, is not of the highest elegance,” explained Oliver Reitz, Head of Strategy and Wholesale at goetel GmbH. The Göttingen-based telecommunications provider has branches in Reiskirchen and Kassel and operates its own fibre optic networks and radio relay systems in Lower Saxony and Hessen. It supports melita.io covering selected areas with a public LoRaWAN.  

“Visually, a gateway like this doesn’t look very attractive,” adds Reitz, “but appearances are deceptive when these gateways drive site security. Whether based on radio or fibre optics, with innovative digital networks we are further expanding the Gießen region as a counterweight to the strong Rhine-Main region.”

As an open radio standard, the technology makes it possible to set up and operate one’s own network, independently of the major telecommunications providers.

“As soon as the LoRaWAN is up and running, not only will municipalities benefit, but local businesses and industry players too. Citizens can also use the radio network,” explains Schwoche. “To be able to meet all user requirements, such as Germany-wide tracking of company-owned resources, a nationwide approach is necessary. This is one of the reasons why LoRaWAN is considered to be a basic building block for smart city applications in a networked region.”

In addition to the city and district of Giessen, other municipalities and cities from the same region have already expressed interest in the public radio network and some have already signed agreements with melita.io. “We are very excited about the cooperation and look forward to equipping the entire state of Hessen with a future-oriented technology,” says Schwoche.

About Melita Group

Melita.io, is a member of the Melita Group. It is dedicated to providing simple and transparent M2M and IoT connectivity solutions to enterprise customers across Europe. With over 25 years of experience in telecommunications, Melita Group combines the most powerful Internet network in Europe with the most advanced mobile network, to enable IoT capabilities. Melita.io is an EQT infrastructure company that has been investing in telecom companies for more than 25 years and manages investment assets of €40 billion, with annual revenues of €21 billion.

LoRa Alliance® and LoRaWAN® are trademarks used under license from LoRa Alliance®.

About goetel GmbH

The goetel Group was founded in 1987 and is a leading telecommunications service provider in central Germany with locations in Göttingen, Kassel and Reiskirchen. In addition to an extensive range of telephony and Internet products for private and business customers, the focus is on broadband expansion. Back in 2012, the company started building its first own fibre-optic network in Göttingen. goetel specializes particularly in developing rural areas with FTTH infrastructure. Many self-supported and subsidised projects, communities and villages have been turned into gigabit locations, thus strengthening their attractiveness and competitiveness. The goetel GmbH is a member of the Breko e.V. as well as the IT Innovation Cluster Göttingen.

Further information can be found at www.goetel.de

Get started now with our M2M SIM plan for IoT connectivity

Our exceptional M2M connectivity solutions are backed by over 30 years of experience in telecommunications. Our transparent and easy-to-use IoT solutions are available across Europe, North America and beyond without incurring any additional roaming fees.

1

per SIM / month