A new smart city is underway as a global mobile satellite communications service, Immarsat, deploys a low power ride area network to support Rwanda’s IoT investment in the city of Kigali.

The project will provide a blueprint for smart city projects, throughout Africa, and will be a connectivity platform for a range of IoT applications. For discussion plans on building a smarter Africa, a forum will be created to bring together African Presidents, leading technology innovators and other public figures.

Solutions will cover citywide coverage, and enable a range of organisations to allow easy connection to Iot devices and to develop IoT applications, in a bid to address urban needs such as education, health, transport and utilities.

The power of IoT tech platforms

Inmarsat will be working in conjunction with IoT tech platform Actility and Jersey Telecom, to demonstrate a positive IoT transformation, with the aim to equip a smart bus with satellite internet, deploy sensors in buildings to monitor air quality, use global connectivity for remote communities and to better water resources and increase crop yield.

“We believe passionately in the power of the IoT to transform cities, industries, and agriculture,” says Actility Chief Executive Officer, Mike Mulica.

“But more importantly, we think IoT can change people’s lives for the better, and nowhere more so than here in Africa. We’ve come here to learn, and are proud to support this initial network rollout as the foundation on which smart cities across Africa will be able to build better futures for their citizens.”

Edited from press release by Leah Alger