Vodacom and MTN both said on Wednesday that they are making significant progress in rolling out Internet of things (IoT) infrastructure in South Africa.

MTN Business said it has embarked on an “aggressive” roll-out of new technologies such as LoraWAN and narrowband IoT.

MTN Business GM for IoT solutions Mariana Kruger said the company has started to experiment with low-power wide-area networks (NB-IoT and CatM1) in urban areas, which the operator is rolling out into its network.

“What this technology allows us to do is to use dedicated communication channels to speak to devices. The frequency or spectrum allocated can strengthen the signal to these devices. For example, a normal GSM signal can only penetrate 2m through a wall,” Kruger said.

On the other hand, NB-IoT technology focuses specifically on wider and deeper coverage, which enables a large number of devices to be connected. “Using NB-IoT, we aim to achieve up to 8m through walls.

MTN has used IoT technology in a game reserve to help combat rhino poaching. “The intelligence gathered from the animals informs the park authorities if there are people or occurrences in the park, that are inconsistent with normal animal behaviour,” said Kruger.

She said that although there are many applications for IoT the public sector, MTN’s enterprise customers are some of the first adopters.

Water meters

Last year, MTN and Huawei showcased an NB-IoT smart water metering solution to highlight the benefits of the technology to utilities. It has also deployed solutions to help the logistics industry counter truck hijackings. Called Cargo Connect, it offers a digital lock that secures goods being transported, and only allows them to be accessed with a one-time Pin at a designated (GPS) location.

Cameras and sensors that monitor the cargo, driver behaviour and driving habits form part of a wider offering to fleet clients. Any deviation from the designated route can be picked up in real time from a remote monitoring centre.

Vodacom, meanwhile, said it has connected more than three million “things” in South Africa, averaging 55 000 new connections a month.

Deon Liebenberg, managing executive for Vodacom IoT, said the rate of IoT adoption is picking up speed. “The Internet of things is no longer hype — it’s real and it’s becoming more and more a part of our daily lives.”