South African Sigfox Internet of things (IoT) operator SqwidNet has signed three major deals to roll out the technology in consumer and business applications.

The Dark Fibre Africa-owned company has reached agreements with Discovery Insure, Netstar and Fidelity ADT to deploy IoT solutions in the automotive, insurance and security sectors. The deals will involve connecting 2.5 million devices, Sigfox founder and CEO Ludovic Le Moan said.

Discovery Insure will use SqwidNet technology in parallel with a system from Cambridge Mobile Telematics to expand its technology offering in the insurance sector.

“As a data-driven business who uses this information to change behaviour and reward clients for improving their risk factors, this is an important innovation for us,” said Discovery Insure Anton Ossip in a statement.

Netstar, owned by JSE-listed Altron, will use IoT to move beyond its traditional vehicle-tracking capabilities. It hopes to maximise the rate of vehicle recovery and mitigate against signal jamming technology deployed by criminals.

Fidelity ADT, meanwhile, plans to use the technology to improve customer experiences, drive efficiencies and expand into new markets. It will use IoT for detailed zone alarms and mitigating the risk of signal jamming. — © 2018 NewsCentral Media