Fidelity ADT and Amber IoT installed more than 300,000 communicating jamming-resistant IoT alarm communicators on Sigfox South Africa’s 0G network
The challenge
Faced with rising connectivity costs and the increasing use of jamming devices, Fidelity ADT needed a reliable and cost-effective wireless network to improve the efficiency and resilience of its security monitoring and intervention services for all of South Africa.
The solution
In partnership with Amber IoT, Fidelity ADT deployed a solution based on 0G Sigfox technology that involves the installation of large-scale, jamming-resistant IoT alarm systems to monitor and respond as reliably and cost-effectively as possible to customer security issues, whether residential or commercial.
The results
The 0G Sigfox South Africa network-connected IoT alarm system enabled Fidelity ADT to achieve:
- Significant cost savings
- Increased operational efficiency
- Scalability and replicability of the service over larger areas due to national network coverage
- Increased competitive advantages due to anti-jamming features
0G Network Operator
Sigfox South Africa is a pioneer in the country’s IoT landscape, whose mission is to make available to businesses and industries nationwide the innovation opportunities enabled by the LPWA network based on Sigfox 0G technology.
Solution
Partner
Amber IoT is an engineering company specialized in developing cutting-edge IoT solutions for improved operational efficiency and business growth.
Client
Fidelity ADT is a leading provider of integrated commercial and residential security solutions with services deployed to more than 70 percent of South African retailers.
ADT is a company that was founded over 150 years ago and was acquired byFidelity Services in 2017, and since then protecting South Africa ‘s residences and businesses has been its top priority. Fidelity ADT is a leading provider of integrated security solutions and services, including high-tech solutions for intrusion detection and personal security, as well as 24/7 remote monitoring and on-site intervention by trained security personnel.
Over the past decade, the digital revolution has made traditional network infrastructures obsolete and they are increasingly prone to the following disruptions:
- Delays in data transfer
- Low data transfer rates
- Susceptibility to jamming and eavesdropping
- Service interruptions during power outages (frequent in South Africa)
- Need for expensive repeaters to make up for lack of coverage
Faced with rising costs of traditional connectivity, increasing complexity, and increasing use of jamming devices, Fidelity ADT needed a cost-effective and reliable wireless network that could provide 24/7 monitoring for its intrusion detection and personal security systems.
How IoT remote monitoring and the 0G network have helped Fidelity ADT increase the security of South African homes and businesses
Fidelity ADT commissioned Amber IoT, an innovative company, to develop a wireless IoT communication device that would meet its technical requirements and connect the client’s intrusion panel to the 24/7 outdoor monitoring center via Sigfox South Africa‘s 0G network , an LPWA network that enables connectivity of low-cost and low-power devices for mass IoT.
Compact and lightweight, the IoT alarm system communication device integrates seamlessly with a wide range of commercially available alarm and intrusion detection panels, including even panels previously purchased from vendors around the world. Installation is quick and easy. Due to its low power consumption, the device is powered directly from the intrusion detection panel without the need for additional power and wiring, further saving costs. The solution also has an optional long-life battery that allows the device to operate even in the event of a total power failure.
On average, an IoT alarm system sends via the 0G network 12 messages per day to the monitoring center enabling continuous remote monitoring of the customer’s premises. Standard data captured and shared by the solution include alerts signaling panic button activation or alarms such as fire and theft alerts. In many cases, the integrated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) also provides Fidelity ADT with the precise location from which the alarm message originated, to ensure that guards get to the correct location quickly. The device can also act as a water leak detector and automatically send an alert to the monitoring center.
For Fidelity ADT, the security of the 0G network and the capability to prevent cellular jamming, a common technique used by thieves to hack networks, represent concrete and compelling advantages. Compared to traditional networks, the 0G protocol offers customers a cost-effective choice for creating sustainable and versatile large-scale solutions that provide long-term commercially viable solutions.
Carel Wessels, Group Chief Technology Officer, Fidelity Services Group
The unparalleled coverage and reliability of the 0G network, even in traditionally hard-to-reach and remote locations, are critical to our customers’ high security standards. The low power consumption of the 0G network helps us reduce costs, greatly improving the feasibility of application in various deployment contexts and enabling us to provide exceptional security service standards. Finally, Sigfox South Africa was the only provider to provide us with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) on network coverage, which is critical to ensuring the availability of our 24-hour monitoring service for our customers.
Wahl Bartmann, managing director, Fidelity Services Group
Fidelity ADT ensures cost savings and improves service reliability with communication devices for IoT alarm systems connected to Sigfox South Africa’s 0G network
In 2017, Fidelity ADT launched a pilot project, installing the Sigfox-based communication system for IoT alarm systems in homes and businesses in Johannesburg. The rapid success of the project has now resulted in more than 300,000 installations across South Africa.
The IoT solution has helped Fidelity ADT overcome significant operational challenges in terms of connectivity, while meeting regulatory and compliance requirements and offering customers a high-security solution, enabling the company’s differentiation in the local market.
We are proud partner of Fidelity ADT on this solution and excited to see more and more companies recognizing the benefits of the Sigfox 0G network. With our wide national coverage, anti-jamming capability, very low power consumption, and being the only network in South Africa that can offer an SLA, 0G technology is the right choice. It is inspiring to witness global security success stories, such as Verisure and Coyote Secure in Europe, where the 0G protocol has proven its effectiveness. Fidelity ADT is the latest example of how our 0G network offers a reliable and powerful complement or alternative for the security industry.
Gregory Rood, managing director, Sigfox South Africa
