Libelium: Becoming a full-service IoT provider with connectivity

With its IoT solutions, Libelium helps companies and communities become more future-proof and sustainable. In addition, T IoT from Telekom helps Libelium improve its offering worldwide.

The sea glistens in the glow of the midday sun, there is a pleasant smell of salt in the air, and the constant sounds of the waves radiate calm and relaxation: It's also scenes like these that many people joyfully anticipate when they arrive at ports in southern climes on ferries or cruise ships. But for the environment, shipping traffic is often a burden. After all, ocean cruisers emit large amounts of pollutants, including the greenhouse gas CO2.

This is one of many applications for Libelium's IoT hardware. The company, based in Zaragoza, Spain, offers sensors that are used to measure air quality, among other things. Coastal cities, for example, can determine when greenhouse gases from ships start to pollute the air too much and restrict traffic on the water if necessary. Until now, Libelium only provided its customers with the hardware and software for data processing. For connectivity, customers had to turn to appropriate providers themselves. The new cooperation with Telekom and its global networking solution T IoT will enable Libelium to expand its offering in the future and provide hardware, software, and connectivity from a single source.

T IoT is Telekom's new global IoT offering. Together, Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile US enable global IoT networking with the appropriate mobile technologies, from NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M to LTE and 5G. T-IoT customers thus have a single point of contact and contract for their global IoT projects. Among other things, this simplifies customer care and support and allows simple, transparent pricing.

This offer provides Libelium with the prerequisites for strategically expanding its own business. The company receives SIM cards from Telekom and integrates them into its products before delivery. This enables Libelium to offer its customers end-to-end IoT solutions tailored precisely to their needs. For example, Libelium networked a sensor station for monitoring indoor air quality in a New Zealand restaurant kitchen with NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT). NB-IoT provides the necessary building penetration for this use case. In order to continuously monitor a salmon farm in the Scottish sea, the Spanish company relies on the broadband 5G standard.

Furthermore, with T IoT, Libelium can always provide its hardware with the appropriate networking – because the Telekom SIM provides access to the mobile network everywhere, regardless of whether the sensor is distributed in Europe or the U.S. "Customers today expect connectivity to be everywhere and to work easily. By working with Telekom, we will be able to provide that anywhere in the world in the future," says Jesús Estrada, CMO Libelium. Another plus point is that Libelium is closer to its customers, as external connectivity providers are no longer involved. This also allows the Spanish company to differentiate itself from competitors. And last but not least, customers also benefit from straightforward communication.

Two other factors Libelium and its customers emphasize in connectivity are security and reliability. Since Libelium's IoT solutions are used by city governments, among others, it is essential to rule out data leaks. After all, this often involves personal data or confidential information about projects. "With Telekom as our partner, we no longer have to worry about security aspects," says Estrada. By networking via mobile communications in the licensed spectrum, for example, internationally established security standards are covered in data protection or encryption.

The reliability of data transmitted via the Internet of Things is also vital in the agricultural sector. Among other things, Libelium offers sensors determining how much fertilizer tomatoes are treated with during cultivation. If there is too much, the crops are no longer suitable for consumption in case of doubt. If there is too little, the crop may suffer, and economic losses would result. Therefore, accurate and seamless data is needed so that agricultural businesses can make the right decisions at the right time. T IoT's proven network provides Libelium and its customers with this desired reliability.

The first product in which Libelium will integrate the Telekom SIM cards in the future is Libelium One: an IoT gateway to which sensors for various application areas can be attached simply by plug-and-play, for example, to determine water quality. Installation at the point of use can be done easily and without specialized personnel, and the collected data can be viewed in real-time via the Libelium cloud. T IoT ideally complements the user-friendly all-in-one concept of Libelium One with its unified and simple approach.

The cooperation between Libelium and Telekom is still in its infancy. But the goals the Spanish IoT provider has set itself are ambitious: "We are working toward a world in which everyone can rely on data," says Alicia Asín, CEO of Libelium. "Decisions about the environment and sustainability should not be based on assumptions but on data. To support this, Libelium needs trustworthy partners along the entire value chain. With Telekom, we cover this requirement in connectivity."