French mobile device maker Archos has announced plans to form a new subsidiary, PicoWAN, that will launch a Low Power-Wide Area Network (LP-WAN) for the IoT in Europe in June 2016. The company has developed smart plugs, or ‘picogateways’ connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet using the LoRa standard. Archos said the range of the picogateways is potentially as long as the antennas installed on PicoWAN rooftops by telecom operators. They offer the advantage of low-cost, easy installation and deep indoor penetration.
PicoWAN plans to distribute up to 200,000 free pico-gateways in Europe by the end of 2016. PicoWAN will offer a subscription plan starting at GBP 0.50 pence per year per connected object. Those who will deploy pico-gateway networks locally will receive up to 50 percent of the income resulting from the connections passing through their picogateways. The software embedded in connected objects will be freely available to all developers and integrators developing on vertical or consumer markets, who can then set up their own IoT networks. The company will demonstrate the system at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March 2016.
