Thinxtra to launch IoT network in Hong Kong
Australian infrastructure provider Thinxtra is set to launch a Sigfox low-power wide-area (LPWA) internet of things (IoT) network in Hong Kong. The move is Thinxtra's first foray into the Asian market, and will see the firm lend IoT support to the metropolis as it pivots towards being a smart city. Murray Hankinson, managing director for Thinxtra in Asia, said the LPWA network, which could include smart car parks, would be low-cost and have a lifespan of up to 10 years.

Thinxtra is expanding its Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure business in Asia and first plans to launch a Sigfox low-power wide-area (LPWA) network in Hong Kong early next year.

The deployment will be a territory-wide LPWA IoT network with links to other Sigfox networks in more than 28 countries around the world, the Australia-headquartered company said.

Thinxtra is an exclusive operator for Sigfox in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. It has a live LPWA network covering much of the population of Australia and New Zealand, along with an ecosystem of over 100 IoT partners, it said.

The move into Hong Kong is Thinxtra’s first in Asia outside of Australia and New Zealand.

“We’re bringing our expertise and experience to Hong Kong to support its ongoing transformation into a smart city and a leader in IoT adoption and development,” said Murray Hankinson, MD of Thinxtra Asia. “We also see great potential for Hong Kong to be a world-leading design and manufacturing hub for IoT innovation, and we’re investing here to support this growth.”

With Thinxtra harnessing local talent and the IT community in Hong Kong to expand the international Sigfox ecosystem, IoT solutions developed in the market could be exported around the world, Hankinson claimed.

Sigfox’s technology is one of a few LPWA offerings that uses unlicensed spectrum to support services such as smart metering and smart parking. Such services rely on low data rates and long battery life. The cellular (licensed spectrum) camp is now fighting back with its own standardised technology offerings: NB-IoT and LTE-M.