MEDIA RELEASE
6 September 2016
Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield today launched a new Internet of Things (IoT) community network at Barangaroo as part of the inaugural Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IoTAA) ‘State of the Nation’ workshop.
The Internet of Things has the potential to transform a wide range of Australian sectors from agriculture to aged care, by placing sensors in everyday objects that can send and receive data. This data can then be analysed and used to increase the efficiency of services and develop new applications.
The Government is committed to working with industry to realise the full potential of IoT technologies and to ensure Australia takes a leadership role in this area.
The Barangaroo Community Network, developed in a partnership between the IoTAA and KPMG, will allow up to 1,000 IoT devices within a three to five kilometre range to connect to the internet. The free network is intended to help the local community, business and academia to connect devices and explore the potential of IoT technology.
The State of the Nation workshop attracted more than 200 attendees from industry, government, start-ups, academia and consumer groups.
Research undertaken for IoTAA has projected that IoT technologies have the potential to add up to $120 billion to the Australian economy by 2025.
While there are currently an estimated 6.4 billion devices connected to the internet, the development of IoT technologies will see this number continue to grow as connected devices and sensors deliver a range of benefits across many sectors including manufacturing, farming, retail, transport and health.
The IoTAA is the peak body representing a diverse group of more than 125 organisations, dedicated to empowering industry to grow Australia’s competitive advantage through IoT.
More information is available at: www.iot.org.au