Brasov, ROMANIA, April 13, 2017

For the first time in Greece and among the first in Europe, COSMOTE has implemented the Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology, in cooperation with the Municipality of Patras. The company has focused on proving the technology’s possibilities and IoT application benefits, choosing Smart Parking and Smart Lighting for the first implementation stage.

“We invest in innovation in order to be the first to provide our customers with pioneering services of the new digital era. The NB-IoT changes the status-quo in IoT, as it utilizes the 4th Generation mobile telephony networks to offer safer interconnection between a greater number of devices, in longer distance and at a lower cost. Smart cities of the future will be based on this technology. COSMOTE lays the foundation of the future, today” stated the OTE Group Executive Director of Network Planning & Development, Mr. George Tsonis

The project was deployed with the contribution of the Municipality of Patras, the main beneficiary of the smart city projects deployed by OTE. InteliLIGHT®’s new NB-IoT streetlight control solution has been chosen for proving the smart lighting benefits, in cooperation with KAFKAS’s LED lighting systems. It is the first field deployment of an NB-IoT streetlight controller worldwide, confirming both the communication technology’s potential and Flashnet’s efforts to adapt their connected lighting solution to NB-IoT requirements.

inteliLIGHT® is a smart street lighting management solution offered by Flashnet®, providing lamp-level control and monitoring capabilities. Switching or dimming the streetlights can be triggered automatically based on pre-set area schedules. Also, in-depth grid monitoring provides detailed electrical parameters and feedback for any change occurring along the grid, offering an accurate real-time lighting system overview. Energy waste can be avoided and maintenance activities become seamless and proactive.

The inteliLIGHT® NB-IoT controller integration offers significant implementation benefits for municipalities, lighting operators and lighting fixtures manufacturers. Primarily, NB-IoT is a carrier grade communication technology that promises to be in the future, similar to GSM and 3G, omnipresent. This will transform any smart street lighting implementation project in a fast, cost efficient, plug-and-play project. There is no need for any civil works or communication infrastructure installation, the controller can be attached to the lamp, connecting it and smarting it up immediately.

Furthermore, the inteliLIGHT® controllers are available as an upgrade for existing lighting installations or in compact form factor, ready to be embedded into luminaries right from the manufacturing line. The wired upgrade controller offers the possibility to avoid further investments in lamp replacement, using the existing lighting fixtures instead.

The embedded controller on the other hand, helps manufacturers offer NB-IoT ready controllers right from the production line, with the benefit of keeping the lamp design intact, without any visible add-ons. Since the beginning of 2016, all inteliLIGHT® controllers also feature a 7-pin NEMA connector option, which is a simple upgrade connection available especially in North America, but expanding globally.