East Africa’s biggest telecoms operator Safaricom is leading the quest in the deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) in bringing about massive development and transformation in Kenya. The IoT which sums up a collective web of interconnected smart devices all running through the internet across each other to a central information hub, working together in unison has become an acronym for tech transformation globally.
It has also become a buzz term in regards to the future of technology in recent years as the internet becomes more and more connected with our daily lives. While most IoT innovations fly under the radar, Kenya’s leading telecommunications company Safaricom has invested serious amounts of capital in a few major IoT partnerships in Kenya with some of East Africa’s country’s most powerful firms.
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In 2019, Safaricom signed a partnership agreement with Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) to launch a series of sensors and leverage IoT to connect beverage coolers that were to be provided at no charge to retailers and outlets nationally.
After a series of tests, Safaricom and KBL launched ‘Connected Coolers’ – a service that uses sensors to monitor beverages in fridges, sending information via the internet in real-time to KBL.
These sensors, according to IT Web Africa, enable KBL distributors to know where assets are located if the assets (fridges) or on or off, whether or not the beverages are in optimal temperatures, and how many times the fridge doors are opened.
Safaricom also launched a smart water meters pilot project with Upepo Technology in 2020. The aim of this project is to provide real-time IoT monitoring of water consumption at the Embu Water and Sanitation Company (EWASCO).
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By utilising smart water meters connected to the internet via Safaricom’s NB-IoT Network, ultrasonic metering, and real-time data transfer, Safaricom and Upepo can provide real-time information on water consumption to the water company.
The most recent investment into Kenya’s IoT future by Safaricom, and what may be Kenya’s largest IoT project to date, is its $481-million Kenya Power smart electricity meter deal.
This deal will see Kenya’s top telecom company spend over $280-million to install an intelligent IoT system that will connect to over 300,000 electricity meters across the country. These meters will allow Safaricom to track electricity usage, power outages, and load on transformers in real-time and provide the data to Kenya Power.
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Safaricom and Kenya Power’s partnership aims at curbing power theft, leakages, and fixing vulnerabilities to Kenya Power’s transmission network.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry