Community IoT network goes live in Australia

Australia’s Federal Minister for Communications and the Arts and Senator Mitch Fifield recently inaugurated a new IoT network intended to help the local community explore the potential of the technology.

Jointly developed by the IoT Alliance Australia (IoTAA) and KPMG, the Barangaroo Community Network will allow up to 1,000 IoT devices within a three- to five-kilometer range to connect to the internet for free for prototyping, testing, solution development and learning.

The gateway, operating in the Industrial and Scientific Spectrum at 915-MHz, will support up to 1000 IoT devices.

Research undertaken for IoTAA projects shows that the IoT if harnessed, has the potential to add up to A$120 billion ($90.5 billion) to the Australian economy by 2025.

“This represents an uplift of up to 2% in Australia’s GDP across a range of environments including factories, retail outlets smart cities and homes, motor vehicles, other transport modes and even human health and fitness – IoT is a pervasive disruptor,” said Communications Alliance CEO and Chair of the IoTAA Executive Council, John Stanton.

The inaugural IoT “State-of-the-Nation” workshop and networking event held in Sydney was attended by more than 200 stakeholders from industry, government, the start-up community, academia and the consumer sector.

It showcased the diverse range of initiatives underway within the IoTAA, the peak body representing a diverse group of more than 125 organizations, dedicated to empowering industry to grow Australia’s competitive advantage through IoT.

IoTAA is hosted and supported by the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) at its Broadway Campus in Sydney.

“IoTAA’s mission is not only about grabbing opportunities – it is also about managing the risks to network integrity and personal privacy that could occur if we are not vigilant and well prepared,” Stanton said.