Dutch firm KPN starts network for 'Internet of Things'

Dutch telecoms firm KPN announced Wednesday it had launched in two cities a new wireless technology known as LoRa to wirelessly connect objects, ahead of a country-wide rollout.

"The network is working in Rotterdam and The Hague from today and will come into effect across the rest of the country in stages in 2016," KPN said in a statement.

The network will "allow us to connect to the Internet in an efficient manner millions of devices which only use a small amount of current and data."

The LoRa network, developed to enable low data rate communications as part of the so-called "Internet of Things," is complementary to the 2G, 3G and 4G phone and Internet networks offered by KPN across the Netherlands.

The telecoms firm highlighted such applications as dustbins which can send a message when they need to be emptied, or farmers receiving messages about the health of their cattle.

In France, telecoms firms Bouygues has already launched a similar LoRa network, while its rival Orange plans to do so.