Telecoms operator Citymesh has acquired the Belgian Sigfox operator Engie M2M.

With this acquisition, Citymesh completes its wireless portfolio with 0G connectivity. The Sigfox network is suitable for IoT projects that use ultra-low bandwidth and need long battery life. The global roaming capabilities will allow Citymesh to support national and international customers.

The choice for the Sigfox network was made deliberately. Compared with other 0G networks, Sigfox offers low power consumption combined with low hardware and network costs. This network type suits digital water meters, track-and-trace applications, and difficult locations such as concrete or underground structures.

A 0G network sends small data packets over low frequencies that reach further than, for example, wifi. In Belgium, the Sigfox network connects more than 250,000 IoT devices.

With this acquisition, Citymesh now owns a national IoT network in addition to its 4G and 5G licences.

“The acquisition of a national IoT network further shapes our ambition as the fourth telecom operator in the B2B market,” said 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, Citymesh announced a new majority shareholder, Cegeka. Thanks to this partnership, Citymesh can now further invest in and expand its technology portfolio.

“Citymesh will focus on installing, monitoring and connecting sensors,” said De Geest. “From that point on, Cegeka can work on the normalisation, consolidation and visualisation of the data to optimise business processes.”

Stijn Bijnens, CEO of Cegeka, added: “The expansion of the wireless portfolio with 0G connectivity creates added value for Cegeka. It offers additional possibilities for our IT. 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 those data in a smart way to make better decisions.”

Citymesh already offers IoT services and will strengthen its market position with this IoT network.

“Now, we can offer all communication technologies, from 0G to 5G,” said 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.”

The Engie M2M team, existing customers and projects have been incorporated into Citymesh.

“The operational and commercial synergies are clear,” said Dirk Indigne, CEO of Engie M2M. “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.”

Jeremy Prince, CEO of Sigfox, added: “We have had the pleasure of working with Engie M2M for the past six 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.

Citymesh specialises in the development and management of large-scale wireless networks based on a wide range of technologies. In addition to its wifi and IoT expertise, the company is a Belgian operator with a national 4G and 5G licence.

Sigfox was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Labège, France, with offices in Boston, Dallas, Dubai, Madrid, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Tokyo.