SK Telecom has teamed up with Thai state-owned operator CAT Telecom for a project to deploy a LoRa-based IoT network and services in Thailand.
Under the agreement, the operators plan to deploy a LoRa-based IoT pilot network in Bangkok and Phuket and launch IoT pilot services from April.
SK Telecom will be responsible for deploying LoRa-based IoT networks in central areas of Bangkok and the entire Phuket province. The company has also been contracted to provide consulting services.
In Phuket, SK Telecom and CAT will initially launch a LoRa-based vehicle location tracking service, and plan to follow this up with more IoT services including smart metering and smart street lighting services.
In central Bangkok, the companies plan to offer an IoT-based location tracking service for tourists, designed to prevent children and the elderly from going missing near the Grand Palace during the mourning period recently deceased king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
“SK Telecom will contribute to the growth of the ICT industry in Thailand by working together with CAT Telecom in the area of IoT, while nurturing a new ICT ecosystem by cooperating with many related companies,” SK Telecom EVP and head of IoT Cha In-hyok said.
“Going forward, SK Telecom will collaborate with CAT Telecom in more areas to create more success stories in Thailand and other Southeast Asian markets.”
SK Telecom and CAT also announced that Tree Pay, the joint venture established by the two companies as well as Korean digital payment company NHN KCP, has launched a payment gateway service in Thailand.
Tree Pay will combine technologies from SK Telecom and NHN KCP to develop an innovative payment gateway supporting online, offline and mobile payment. CAT will meanwhile work with the Thai government to develop business opportunities for the new venture.