Published:  9.12.2019

Roaming services no longer mean merely mobile device roaming services provided by telephone service operators, as IoT network roaming services are becoming increasingly common. The Swiss company Swisscom and Digita have deployed roaming services between their LoRaWAN networks. This means that IoT sensors make measurements and transmit the data to their home countries. For IoT services, the network coverage between countries and its good availability will be very important in the future, as an increasing number of multinational companies are using IoT sensors in their operations.

Swisscom is a LoRaWAN network operator in its home country Switzerland and the company, who started to build its network in 2016, was one of the first network operators to build a LoRaWAN network in Europe. Both Digita and Swisscom offer their customers connections, applications, and analytics for IoT devices. Currently, Swisscom’s LoRaWAN coverage reaches 97% of the population.

One access agreement suffices

Inter-network roaming benefits both current and future customers having operations in several countries. The cooperation saves customers the trouble of concluding new agreements for roaming, as an access agreement concluded with one party for domestic operations is sufficient. Data can be collected in a centralised manner from all sensors to one portal, which makes data monitoring easier. Therefore, the future objective is that the option of international roaming is offered in as many countries as possible without the customer having to conclude separate access agreements for each country.

“I am pleased that we found a partner who maintains an excellent public LoRaWAN network in Finland. This partnership enables Swisscom to expand its growing LoRaWAN network roaming services in Northern Europe as well. In addition, both companies promote the rapid expansion of the LoRaWAN network in Europe, which allows customers to implement their LPWAN use cases internationally,” says Julian Dömer, Head of IoT at Swisscom.

“We and our customers value the fact that we are able to develop our services in accordance with the evolving needs of our customers. Digita’s LoRaWAN network in Finland, which covers the entire country, serves hundreds of customers and in the future, Digita aims to enable the functioning of IoT services in other countries as well through data network roaming. Our cooperation with Swisscom is now opening doors in the right direction,” says Ari Kuukka, Director, IoT Services at Digita.

Digita owns and operates Finland’s leading terrestrial network for nationwide TV and radio transmissions, and is the country’s largest independent owner of telecommunication masts. The company is a provider of digital software and services. Digita’s services include telecommunication masts, data centre and IoT services, and broadcasting services for the future. Digita provides services to Finland’s largest mobile phone operators, internet and media companies, infrastructure enterprises and real estate owners. Digita employs 180 experts across Finland. www.digita.fi,  www.digitamahdollistaa.fi

Swisscom, Switzerland’s leading telecoms company and one of its leading IT companies, is headquartered in Ittigen, close to the capital city Berne. Outside Switzerland, Swisscom has a presence on the Italian market in the guise of Fastweb. About 19,600 employees generated sales of CHF 5,663 million in the first half of 2019. It is 51% Confederation-owned and is one of Switzerland’s most sustainable and innovative companies. www.swisscom.ch/lpn