Wireless ISP Connexin Deploys UK’s Largest LoRaWAN Network in Hull

UK ISP Connexin, which runs superfast broadband networks in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (England), claims to have launched the UK’s “largest” commercial “carrier-grade” citywide Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) in the city of Hull. Smart bins for all.

LoRaWAN or LPWAN networks are generally designed to be very low powered and low cost. Such networks make use of unlicensed spectrum in the sub-gigahertz territory (e.g. 868MHz, 915MHz), which means that they don’t deliver very fast wireless data speeds (anything from a few Kbps to 1-2Mbps) but you do benefit from some exceptionally wide coverage.

The intention of such infrastructure is usually to connect smaller Internet of Things (IoT) style devices. The latest deployment in Hull is thus said to cover the whole city and surrounding areas, which will initially be used to support the council’s new Smart Bins pilot project (e.g. public bins communicate when they’re getting full or being vandalised).

Furqan Alamgir, Connexin CEO, said:

“We are incredibly proud to deliver the UK’s largest commercial carrier-grade LoRaWAN network in Hull.

As a local business, our passion for the North has always been part of our DNA – so we are excited for Hull to be seen as a key player at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse.

By investing in and building this infrastructure, Connexin will provide a platform for public sector, community groups, education and research providers, industry, businesses and entrepreneurs to develop their smart applications and ideas.

This pioneering work in Hull will enable us to support other cities to transform their services through carrier-grade LoRaWAN across the country. As we expand these networks, we will realise our vision to make the UK one of the smartest countries in the world.”

Interestingly the ISP has also promised to provide “limited” open access to the network for hobbyists, community groups and educational organisations.