Connectivity whenever you need itHow to choose safe, smart and cost-effective Internet connections

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Chapter 1 Mega trend: everything and everyone connected

We are on our way to a world where everything and

everyone is interconnected. An era with completely

new data flows which will provide us with an astonishing

amount of useful information, provided it is combined

smartly and interpreted well. Information which, in

principle, will be available to everyone at all times,

as people will be able to instantly read in data safely

via tablets, mobile phones and wearables, such as

Internet-connected watches.

MORE SERVICE, HIGHER SPEED, FEWER COSTSIn the era of Internet of Things, we have more and

more data at our disposal. We can obtain, access,

compare and enrich data at practically any location.

By combining this data we create useful information.

Management information that helps us take the right

decisions. Yet also information that can be automatically

converted into logical follow-up actions. The customer

– both companies and consumers – stands to gain

most in this mega trend.

Thanks to IoT solutions, we can look forward to

making better decisions, enjoying more service,

increased speed in processes and often also fewer

costs. This gain does of course only apply if the new

applications meet the strict requirements in the field

of privacy and data security.

Internet of Things

The connection of machines and people with the Internet

does not mean anything in itself. The Internet of Things

is only given meaning the moment that people start

using these connections smartly, in a way that improves

the quality of our lives. If people add value, the Internet

of Things will offer unprecedented opportunities to

change the manner in which we work and live and to

improve this. That is how KPN interprets the Internet of

Things. IoT by KPN is aimed at Internet connections for

machines and people. KPN does this on the basis of

strict requirements in the field of privacy and security.

This enables the customer to use IoT safely and reliably,

without any concerns.

We all stand at the eve of a data revolution. Machines, vehicles and ultimately also people are more and more packed with sensors that can communicate with everyone and everything, thanks to the I nternet. The era of the Internet of Things (IoT) has in fact only just started. At the same time developments continue at mind-boggling speeds. Expectations are that, in 2020, approx. 25 billions devices will be connected to each other across the globe. And it is around that same time that every private individual will have approx. 50 IP addresses, as predicted by the reputable consultancy agency Gartner.

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advantages for maintenance planning. This also benefits

the travelling public. An app will tell them what carriage

still has seats, where the quiet zone is and whether the

toilet is occupied.

CONNECTIVITY IS THE DECISIVE FACTOR There are multiple ways of making a company, city or

industry smart. Yet in all cases there is a single pre-

condition that must be met, regardless. No matter the

quality of the devices, sensors and follow-up actions,

the entire organisation will only function if those smart

devices, machines and applications are interconnected

via the Internet, i.e. if there is actual ‘connectivity’.

Additional challenge: Seamless ConnectivityThe Internet of Things hinges on connectivity. Everyone

wants devices to be connected to the Internet. But that

is not enough: today’s list of wishes and demands goes

EVERYTHING IS SMARTAll feasible sectors are taking their first steps to make all

processes smart. The advantages of the Internet of

Things are attractive. It seems as if everyone is busy

making their services, projects and processes smart. It

has long been thought that automation in and around

the house (home automation) would be the major kick-

starter. An attractive IoT future image has been portrayed

to us in this field for years. Accounts of sensors that tell

us that you have run out of vegetables, that the ham has

passed its sell-by-date or that the medicine cabinet is

running low on supplies. Today IoT solutions in the

United States have become reasonably common in terms

of safety in and around the home. It is not uncommon

for the garage doors to open automatically if the cameras

at the gate pick up the arrival of the resident. Yet the real

push for IoT solutions does not come from the private

domain, but from businesses and industries.

Intelligent Plants, Smart Cities People in a large variety of industries are

thinking of new and smart solutions, made

possible by the Internet of Things. For example,

concepts are introduced for Intelligent Plants:

plants that, thanks to smart sensors and smart programming

become self-learning and error-free. The plant of the

future will think for itself, correct itself and continuously

improve itself. A lot of attention is also paid to Smart

Cities – cities where the accumulated data of various

devices help to e.g. discharge waste in the smartest

possible way. In a smart city, CCTV in a square can

immediately issue an alert to the police the moment it

picks up excessive screaming or, as a worst-case scenario,

when shots are fired. In the same smart city, sensors can

also detect that certain bikes have been stationary for a

prolonged period of time – a signal to remove these

abandoned bikes. And if someone is getting stressed

finding a parking space? He or she will be pointed to free

parking spaces by an app.

Smart infrastructureThese days, thanks to a wide range of devices

and sensors, we also have the disposal of

real time data on water levels, water pollution,

radioactivity and dioxin levels when managing

infrastructure. The same applies for situations near dikes,

visibility on navigational routes and road traffic measure-

ments. Combining data creates opportunities to improve

traffic management. Organisations such as the Directorate-

General for Public Works and Water Management think

about ways of using ICT to always provide people and

vehicles with the exact information they need to keep

going. The possibilities of doing so are growing fast thanks

to the fast increase in digital means of communication

along the road network. The current 4G technology

creates a wide range of opportunities to communicate

with road users better, faster and more directly.

Smart Logistics, Smart TransportIn the logistics industry, IoT solutions are

already creating innovation. The Internet of

Things makes transparency possible in the

logistics chain. The opportunities that arise

for sharing data quickly and safely help to optimise

processes, reduce costs and commit customers. The rule

here: the more information we share, the more relevant

data is created. For example, trip schedule systems can

be linked up with the travel time forecast tables. Thanks

to IoT applications, new opportunities are created to

optimise the load factor and optimise available driving

hours – the never-ending challenge for every carrier and

logistics planner.

(Public) transport too is becoming increasingly smart.

For example, in the case of Smart Transport, trains are

linked up via the Internet. This offers major advantages

in the fields of inspection and maintenance. Inspections

can be carried out remotely. Sensors on the rails provide

continuous real-time insight, creating a wide range of

much further already. Entrepreneurs and end-users want

more than connectivity alone. They also want convenience

and ease-of-use in the form of Seamless Connectivity.

If at all possible, connectivity must be automatic and

unnoticed (seamless). Just as is the case when using your

smartphone in private surroundings. The smartphone will

automatically switch to Wi-Fi when at home. And outside

the home, the smartphone automatically switches to e.g.

4G. It is that ease-of-use and convenience that customers

now also demand from other IoT solutions.

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Chapter 2 Connectivity: choices and problem-solving approaches

How do you make a choice for a safe, smart and cost-

effective Internet connection? Questions you need to ask

yourself:

1. Cost-efficient: how do you ensure that your devices

and sensors are at all times connected to the Internet

as reliably and cost-effectively as possible?

2. Convenience and ease-of-use: how do you connect

different forms of connectivity in a way that the

customer does not even notice, thereby creating

convenience and ease-of-use in this field?

3. Choice of connectivity: how do you make the best

connectivity choice from the endless list of technolo-

gical solutions?

4. Local or non-local: do you opt for a local solution

or a solution in which you e.g. ride along with an

established public infrastructure?

5. Managing: once you have opted for a certain

connectivity solution, how do you best manage it

from an operations point of view?

6. Security: what are the consequences in terms of

the security requirements if critical or, on the other

hand, public data is accessed? And what impact

does the choice for a local or non-local solution

have on security?

THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR TECHNOLOGYThere are many technical possibilities to organise

connectivity well. The diversity of solutions is high.

The playing field is enormous. Currently creators of IoT

solutions can opt from 30 to 40 different technologies,

varying from cable and mobile networks such as 2G, 3G

and 4G to Bluetooth and LoRa. 4G makes it possible to

use gateways with other wireless connections such as

Wi-Fi or ZigBee. And some technologies can even be

combined. Take a lamppost for instance; LoRa is used for

the lighting, yet if you want to mount a video camera to

the lamppost, the video is best run on a 4G network.

When realising connectivity, developers and providers

must subject each request to a critical review as to

which type of connectivity and what combinations of

connectivity are most suitable. Every situation requires its

own unique application, depending on the environment

where the application is deployed and the distribution

and business model. In addition, the matter of local or

non-local is one of the first choices that must be made

when organising connectivity. Do you opt for a local or

non-local connectivity solution? In any case, both

instances use both short and long distance connectivity.

Local solution: affordable in theory, costly in practice?In numerous situations, a local solution is the best and

quickest route to connectivity. A technology such as Wi-Fi

for instance, is highly suitable the moment a plant e.g.

wants to unite a wide range of local data traffic via

Everyone engaged in IoT wants his devices and sensors to be connected to the Internet reliably and cost-effectively, at any desired time. Entrepreneurs also want this to be offered ‘unnoticed’; the end-user should not be inconvenienced by it. Hence the question for developers and suppliers is; connectivity: how do you do that and how do you organise it?

thousands of sensors. Local solutions are, in principle,

affordable and can largely be set up without help.

These advantages can at the same work against you.

Managing things yourself can lead to a waste of time,

energy and costs. Hence non-local connectivity is often

a more efficient choice.

INTERNET OF THINGS: LONG LIVE THE SIM CARDToday all machines, devices and applications can be

connected with each other via the Internet. This connectivity

can be realised in different ways. In the year 2015, the

SIM card is the carrier of every IoT solution. With the

SIM card as carrier, devices can send their data to other

devices via mobile networks such as 2G, 3G and 4G.

Impulse for many sectorsThe moment people start linking up data of devices

to smart follow-up actions, a range of improvements

and automation options manifests itself. We can see

this across the board, in a wide range of industries.

The cleaning industry, for instance. Cleaning corporate

premises is a daily activity that requires a lot of time and

energy. One of the major players in the industry entered

into dialogue with a system integration specialist and

KPN, as KPN, partly thanks to the use of SIM cards, can

ensure that their equipment is in fact connected. The end

result: the cleaning company will be working with

cleaning equipment that, from now on, will be measuring

a wide range of criteria, such as bacteria, humidity, light

and oxygen. This enables the company to offer its

customers an additional service on the basis of real,

measurable data.

The best example: Connected CarThe possibilities offered by the SIM card in 2015 for

practical IoT solutions are numerous. A textbook example

for IoT is the Connected Car. No matter how interesting

and important developments in other industries are,

practically all experts agree that, in the years to come, the

automotive industry will provide the largest impulse in

terms of Internet of Things solutions. The developments

in this sector at the same time clarify the scope of the

added value of such applications in numerous areas.

Electronics already account for a considerable part of

the make-up of modern cars. And this trend continues

unabatedly. The car of the future is entirely connected,

packed with devices and sensors that measure a wide

range of data and that share these data with other

devices. The car of the future measures and monitors

itself and shares data with other parties involved. Not

only does this make the car safer and more economically,

it ultimately makes it cheaper too. For example, the

driver does not need to go the repair shop for every

minor problem. For example, the software of the Connected

Car can be reset remotely. Many updates can also be

done automatically. The car itself indicates when it is time

for periodic servicing.

The fact that cars register more and more data with the

ability to quickly and easily share this date with other

devices via a SIM card creates interesting results in

sometimes unexpected areas. The Connected Car for

example leads to new forms of insurance. In the near

future, the level of car insurance and risk profile will no

longer be based on classic criteria such as age and claims

history. Partly thanks to IoT communication, the premium

will be calculated on the basis of driving style, acceleration

speeds, braking and driving in traffic jams. The car

registers a person’s driving style and this has a direct

impact on the insurance. The User-Based Insurance

concept is already booming in the United Kingdom.

The Connected Car also has consequences in the legal

field. In the near future, cars can be seen fitted with a

black box. This makes it possible to read out relevant

data following a collision or accident. Did the driver have

his lights on? Was there sufficient windshield washer

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fluid? Was the driver wearing his seatbelt? Was the driver

making a call at the time of the accident? What level was

the radio volume at? Such combined data – generated

through mobile Internet and the use of SIM cards – will

start playing an increasingly important role in assigning

fault in accidents. They also offer possibilities in the field

of prevention. Partly thanks to data analyses, it will be

possible to develop smart applications that prevent

hazardous situations from occurring altogether.

The SIM card of the futureCurrent SIM cards – the basis for IoT solutions – are

still manufactured and supplied separately, i.e. separately

from the device they are intended for. This is set to

change. SIM cards are more and more becoming an

integrated part of devices; the ‘Embedded SIM’.

This means that the SIM card is built in during the

production process of the device. Subsequently, the SIM

card can be activated locally in any country. These SIMs

offer many advantages for the IoT industry: they can

be produced cheaper, are vibration-resistant and the

small format suits the growing IoT market well. This is

interesting for e.g. car manufacturers. They can install

the SIM card in the car when it is still in the plant, at a

single location and on a single production line.

No meaning means no improvementThe SIM thus has many applications that serve as a basis

for solutions to connect people and machines. Yet this

form of connectivity too can only be given meaning

within IoT the moment people start using the connections

in a meaningful manner and start adding value to it.

This offers the Internet of Things unprecedented

opportunities to change the manner in which we work

and live and to improve this.

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Chapter 3 Our specific services

LARGE-SCALE DATA TRAFFIC ACROSS MOBILE NETWORKSIoT applications are and continue to be widespread.

The use of SIM cards in combination with the Internet

is a great way to interconnect machines, devices and

applications. With the arrival of built-in SIMs that can

be set globally, the possi bilities for the years to come

are set to only increase further.

M2M World Alliance: reliable and cost-effective cover across the globe In its IoT solutions, KPN sets itself apart from other

providers in more than one way, as a partner of M2M

World Alliance for example. This global alliance ensures

that customers with outlets across their national borders

can take advantage of local rates throughout, without

having to enter into separate contracts for this with the

different M2M providers. Thanks to the World Alliance,

customers enjoy local access to the Internet and reliable

coverage via the best local operators. Particularly in the

event of high data consumption the costs can be kept

relatively low as KPN, within that same alliance, has

entered into agreements across the globe with providers

such as Telefonica in Spain and Rogers in Canada.

These agreements ensure that SIM cards in machines and

devices automatically switch to the local profile of the

country in which they are active. This solution can thus

prevent high roaming costs and offer possibilities to be

active in countries such as Brazil and Canada where, e.g.,

permanent roaming is not permitted.

In addition, KPN is co-founder of the LoRa Alliance,

a global partnership in which telecommunication

operators, product manufacturers and hardware

developers have joined forces. The joint objective is

to develop a global standard for LoRa.

LORA: NEW NETWORK TECHNOLOGY FOR LOW FREQUENCY CONNECTIVITY Energy efficient, long-distance connection with the InternetLoRa stands for Long Range: the technology enables

devices that use little power and data to connect to the

Internet from a long distance. The process is highly

energy-efficient, as LoRa works on a call-off basis. The

device only sends and receives data at a few, predefined

moments. For that reason devices no longer need

enormous batteries to maintain a continuous connection.

Examples include an application such as intelligent street

lighting (lighting adjusted to the volume of traffic) or

waste bins that issue an alert when they are full. In such

situations a low-frequency connection suffices. The

device only needs to be able to issue a signal or receive a

command – e.g. on/off – intermittently. Thank to LoRa,

KPN can also offer this type of low-frequency connectivity.

Example: car park managementWhen dealing with larger car parks, managers often

want to know how many spaces are still available and

where these spaces are located. With this knowledge,

they can establish better traffic flow and higher occupancy

rates. Yet in all probability this is not the best solution.

A local network needs to be maintained, requiring time

and energy. An IoT solution requires a relatively large,

costly battery. In this case, LoRa would be the most

cost-effective, as well as the most reliable connectivity

solution. For example, it is possible to install a magnet

or infra-red sensor underneath every parking space

which, via LoRa, is read out by a parking management

system. Additional advantage of the LoRa technology:

an accumulator or wiring is not needed. After all, the

battery lasts up to 15 years. In addition, reliability

increases. LoRa applications are wireless. This limits

wear and maintenance.

Do you have any questions?

Would you like to receive further information on the

connectivity solutions by KPN? If so, visit kpn.com/iot or

call the KPN business unit for the Internet of Things, free

of charge: (+31) (0)88 660 10 34. We are open Mondays

to Fridays from 9am to 5pm.

KPN IoT establishes smart connections between

man and machines and does this on the basis of strict

requirements in the field of privacy and security.

Contact

KPN Internet of Things

Maanplein 55

2516 CK The Hague

Telephone: (+31)(0)88 - 660 10 34

iot@kpn.com

Website: www.kpn.com/iot

KPN provides nationwide coverage through the most reliable network of the Netherlands.

This enables KPN to offer a variety of connectivity solutions throughout. To date,

two types of connectivity have been developed that are pinned on this national infra-

structure: M2M connectivity (2G, 3G and 4G) and LoRa. Both types of connectivity are

particularly suitable for situations in which developers and providers of IoT solutions

are unable and unwilling to handle data traffic locally. They are also suitable for situations

in which no existing, local infrastructure is available.

kpn.com/iot