The City of Lake Macquarie will broke new ground by creating a vast Smart City network covering an area equivalent in size to 23 Sydney local government areas.
The Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities, Paul Fletcher, officially launched the roll-out of the carrier-grade Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Peter Francis, CEO of Dantia, the economic development company of Lake Macquarie, said the major infrastructure commitment is a game-changer for the region.
“This network is being installed to support citywide initiatives that will enable business and enterprise to drive their own IoT projects and enterprises,” Mr Francis said.
“The scale of the Lake Macquarie City infrastructure is unprecedented. It will make Lake Macquarie the first Australian city to provide 100 per cent commercial-grade IoT network coverage to all populated areas across the LGA, some 650 square kilometres.
“The investment in this infrastructure will create significant opportunities across Lake Macquarie City for start-ups, small and large businesses and open pathways for Lake Macquarie Council to build new technology and innovate.”
Start-ups will have free access to connect to the network and businesses and corporates can receive a 15 per cent discount if they establish operations in Lake Macquarie City.
Partnerships have already been established with major corporations including the University of Technology Sydney, Slingshot, Ampcontrol, ResTech and Hunter Water as well as start-ups like Marine Connect, Liftango and BinShare, all of which are ready to utilise the Lake Macquarie network.
The IoT network is commercially funded for a 20-year contract period and delivered via a partnership between Dantia, Lake Macquarie City Council and leading IoT provider The National Narrowband Network Co (NNNCo).
Minister Fletcher said IoT presents opportunities to improve productivity, liveability and service delivery, with benefits across many sectors including manufacturing, farming, retail, transport and health.
“IoT is estimated to have the potential to add up to $120 billion annually to the Australian economy by 2025 and Lake Macquarie is now positioned to be at the forefront of IoT network and infrastructure delivery,” Mr Fletcher said.
“This is an innovative example of what can be achieved when local governments and commercial partners work together, aligned with strong, future-city building policy.”
More information is available on the Lake Macquarie City Council website.