Spanish group Cellnex Telecom is aiming for 80% coverage of the country with Ireland’s first national Internet of Things (IoT) network by the end of this year.

Through its partnership with Everynet, Cellnex will bring a new low-energy nationwide network (LoRaWAN) to all major cities by the end of December.

The initial investment in the network between Cellnext and Everynet is around 2 million euros.

Deploying the LoRaWAN network will allow Cellnex to work with public agencies and private companies across the country on their IoT needs, which may include building and energy management, air quality monitoring and water, waste management and validation of car parks.

The network will build on the successes of a pilot project launched in Edenderry, County Offaly last year, in which the town became the first in Ireland to use LoRaWAN technology to help deliver solutions monitoring of disabled parking spaces, waste bin level sensors, air quality monitoring. and tracking energy use in public buildings, according to a statement from Cellnex.

Cellnex Ireland has over 70 customers here, including all mobile operators, broadcast and emergency services, as well as a range of local wireless operators.

The company said that as it expands its service offering, the customer profile “evolves to include government agencies, utility providers, major players in the hospitality, retail, transportation, manufacturing and construction, all of which are looking for connectivity solutions to address coverage issues.”

Cellnex, which claims to be Ireland’s largest independent telecoms infrastructure operator, completed the purchase of Cignal in September 2019 in a €210m deal.

The company has committed to delivering 600 new telecommunications sites by 2026 and 300 have been delivered to date.