ITU Could Help Expand Internet of Things

The International Telecommunication Union is set to Invest in Internet of Things (IoT) projects in the country, according to a local report.

IoT applications allow users to monitor and control everything from fridges to citywide metro systems by connecting remote sensors with computers, mobile phones and smart watches.

Vahid Yazdian, the director of the Faculty of Applied Science of Post and Telecommunication under the Telecoms Ministry said ITU representatives have voiced interest in investing in IoT development in Iran, however, he did not provide details, local technology site zoomit.ir reported.

The report comes in the wake of a workshop recently held on IoT in Tehran, organized jointly by the ITU, the faculty affiliated to the Telecoms Ministry and the Chinese Academy of ICT.

“The workshop was the first event in the field of IoT. It attracted several players including mobile operators, service providers and users and representatives from ITU,” Yazdian said.

The ITU was in charge of monitoring the workshop attended by international academics, Iranian instructors and the chairman of the study group for the Internet of Things and smart cities.

In February, local Internet service provider Pars Online signed a deal with French IoT specialist SigFox to acquire services for local companies to tap into the growing connected devices markets.

 Iran will be the 31st country to use Sigfox network, it said. “The arrival of this global connectivity solution opens the way  to new economically competitive and energy-efficient services for Iranian businesses,” Pars Online Director Ahmad Jafarabadi said at the time.