Tata Communications Concludes Low-Power Network Trials

This will bolster successful deployment of IoT applications in the country, it said. "... it has successfully conducted trials of new low-power wide area network (LPWAN) based on LoRa technology for connected devices and cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) applications across Mumbai and Delhi," Tata Communications said in a statement.

The company plans to roll out the network across the country, with full coverage starting in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

The new network is low-power, secure, bi-directional, communication solution, which any organisation can use to connect objects and applications, overcoming high power consumption challenges with existing wireless solutions.

"The first phase targets to cover 400 million people across tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 cities," it added. In addition to low power consumption, Tata Communications said the network has unprecedented reach, allowing communications in deep water and up to 50 metres underground.

"This makes it suitable for use in metro stations and car parks. The signal of the network is extremely strong, cutting through up to seven walls inside buildings. It is also suitable for rural areas due to its 15-km range," it added.

"We see a massive need for a new smart network to enable intelligent solutions for a variety of M2M applications... These trials are just the beginning; we intend to deploy this network across India and invite customers with IoT projects to work with us to test it, end-to-end," Tata Communications Chief Strategy Officer Tri Pham said.

As per forecasts from research firm Gartner, there will be 4.9 billion connected things globally in 2015, reaching 25 billion by 2020.