Telecom operator Citymesh acquires the Belgian Sigfox operator ENGIE M2M
With this acquisition, Citymesh completes its wireless portfolio with 0G connectivity. The Sigfox network is ideally suited for IoT projects that use ultra-low bandwidth and need long battery life. The global roaming capabilities will allow Citymesh to support both national and international customers.
Citymesh 0G
The choice for the Sigfox network was made deliberately. Compared to other 0G networks, Sigfox offers ultra-low power consumption combined with low hardware and network costs. This network type is ideally suited for digital water meters, track & trace applications, and challenging locations such as concrete or underground structures.
A 0G network efficiently sends small data packets over low frequencies that reach further than, for example, WiFi. In Belgium, the Sigfox network currently connects more than 250,000 IoT devices.
Strategic acquisition
With this acquisition of the Sigfox network, Citymesh now owns a national IoT network in addition to its 4G and 5G licences. This 0G technology is perfect for IoT applications thanks to its lower power consumption and low bandwidth.”The acquisition of a national IoT network further shapes our ambition as the fourth telecom operator in the B2B market,” states Mitch De Geest, CEO of Citymesh. “With this network, we can support customers’ IoT projects, using a single contract, anywhere in the world.”
In December 2020, Citymesh announced a new majority shareholder, Cegeka. Thanks to this strategic partnership, Citymesh is now able to further invest in and expand its technology portfolio. Mitch De Geest: “Citymesh will focus on installing, monitoring and connecting sensors. From that point on Cegeka can work on the normalization, consolidation and visualization of the data to optimize business processes.”
Stijn Bijnens, CEO of Cegeka:
“The expansion of the wireless portfolio with 0G connectivity creates added value for Cegeka. It offers additional possibilities for our IT solutions. We can collect data from our customers via the Sigfox IoT network. Our specialists in the field of data science and data intelligence can subsequently help our customers to use that data in a smart way to make better decisions.”
Strengthened market position
Citymesh already offers IoT services and will further strengthen its market position with this IoT network.
“Now, we can offer all communication technologies, from 0G to 5G,” says Mitch De Geest: “Our customers, ranging from cities to enterprises, can rely on us for all-in-one solutions, completely tailored to their budget and needs. For example, a city can opt for a WiFi network in the public library, smart city furniture in a market square and noise sensors in busy streets to map out noise pollution. A company may choose a mobile private 5G network combined with smart sensors. For every connectivity question, we have an appropriate solution.”
Shared ambitions
The ENGIE M2M team, existing customers and projects are incorporated into Citymesh. “The operational and commercial synergies are clear. The ambition to be trusted IoT advisors for our customers and partners was always there. Through this acquisition, our customers will have access to a wide range of technologies and in doing so we extend the value proposition,” explains Dirk Indigne, CEO of ENGIE M2M.
Jeremy Prince, CEO of Sigfox: “We have had the pleasure of working with ENGIE M2M for the past 6 years in Belgium. They have done a great job deploying the network and accelerating the adoption of Sigfox in this country. We are very excited to see them move towards the next phase with Citymesh. It also illustrates that 0G is a perfect addition to other technologies and that most often we “complete” rather than “compete”! We warmly congratulate all parties and look forward to continuing working together as massive IoT is becoming a reality.”
The acquisition is accompanied by the exit of all shareholders. Neither parties are releasing any financial details.
