Actility's ThingPark China, Xi'an Beilin District Science and Technology Bureau and Shaanxi Radio and Television Network Group have teamed up to launch an IoT network on the ‘New Silk Road’.
The initiative will form part of President Xi’s $100 billion Belt and Road program, which aims to create a modern day version of the ancient Silk Road, driving commerce, connectivity and cooperation between nations.
First announced in 2013, the Belt and Road scheme is intended to increase trade and stimulate growth across Asia, and beyond, by building land and sea commerce infrastructure connecting China to countries around the world.
IoT connectivity is set to play an integral part of the initiative, and is expected to supercharge the region’s economies. According to IDC, worldwide spending on the IoT is forecast to reach $1.29 trillion in 2020.
The first stage of the IoT project will be the launch of a test network spanning 23 square kilometers in Xi’an, the historic starting point of the Silk Road.
ThingPark China together with Shaanxi Radio and Television Network Group, will deploy a low-power IoT system covering the whole Beilin district. The test network will be tailored to the Beilin District’s business needs.
The network will initially be used for environmental monitoring, unlocking the potential for huge social and economic benefits for the region.
This approach enables collection, upload and analysis of environmental data within the administrative area, dramatically increasing work efficiency and improving scientific decision-making. This industrial innovation platform with IoT at its core will also encourage investment in the region and provide a compelling case for high tech enterprises to open-up in the city.
“We’re excited to launch such a pivotal project, which is set to bring unprecedented socio-economic benefits to Xi’an, and fuel the advancement of the Belt and Road initiative,” ThingPark China CEO Bing Liu said.
“IoT will play an integral role in building the Silk Road into a modern day transport corridor, as digital transformation is a vital part of modern infrastructure projects, and the huge economic and social benefits brought about by the IoT will soon be felt on both a regional and a global scale.”
“As the world's leading IoT technology vendor, ThingPark China has front-edge technologies, a mature operating platform, and an experienced R&D and marketing team, which contributes to its leadership in the industry. By partnering and working together with us, it will further promote its large-scale operation mode, and expand the IoT market in western China,” added Mr. Yan Zhaoxiang, chairman of Shaanxi Broadcast & TV Network.
The announcement follows on from the closure of Actility’s $75 million Series D funding round in April 2017, where it was backed by a number of tier one investors, including Bosch, Inmarsat, Orange and KPN.
“China is a vital market for IoT, and with the launch of this network we’re looking forward to driving even more innovation and efficiency, and transforming more cities, workplaces and lives,” Actility CEO Mike Mulica said.
“The partnership with Xi'an Beilin District Science and Technology Bureau and Shaanxi Radio and Television Network Group enables us to bring our extensive expertise, gained from deploying LPWA networks all over the world, to the historic and culturally significant city of Xi’an, and support growth and development in the region. This network in Xi’an is the first step towards a global-scale cargo tracking and monitoring solution, which will make the New Silk Road the standard-bearer of the coming revolution in world-wide trade, powered by the IoT.”
First published in Networks Asia