WebLock can now be installed in complex locations

A new controller, designed for mobile communication with the Valnes WebLock smart lock, is now ready, which can also be installed in complex locations lacking access to Wi-Fi or cable internet networks, thanks to Elisa’s low-frequency IoT Internet of Things network. The new controller allows for the easier installation of the Valnes WebLock, for example, on tennis courts or construction sites.

‘At many sites it is not possible or reasonable to provide communication with access systems via a cable or wireless network. The alternative is a low frequency narrowband IoT network, which is perfectly suited for challenging locations’, said Tambet Kõrv, Sales Manager at Valnes.

For example, to access the tennis court, the customer who made the reservation must enter a one-time smart lock code, which then opens the gate. ‘The Narrowband IoT network has created the opportunity to solve complex access problems through the use of cloud locking, which would otherwise require complex cabling for the customer. Devices operating on a low frequency transmit information quickly, and low energy consumption, means that they can also operate for an extended period of time on batteries’, Kõrv added.

The Valnes WebLock IoT smart lock is being used in Itella Smartpost’s parcel houses

The smart locks in question are currently being used in Itella Smartpost’s parcel houses in Kose, Türi, and Paldiski and, in the near future, will be used in many other locations, where the customer can open the door to the hut with the same code that is used to retrieve the parcel from the parcel locker. According to Rauno Parras, Director of Parcel Transport services at Itella Estonia, smart locks have become part of the company’s ‘Carefully Cared For’ concept, under which Itella Smartpost’s parcel machines are only located indoors. ‘Smart locks operating via the Internet of Things allow for round-the-clock access to be offered to parcel houses as well as parcel lockers with separate entrances, where parcels are protected from both extreme temperatures and excessive humidity’, added Parras.

In addition, similar smart locks are being used, for example, at athletics fields in Paide and Pärnu, and at the gates of various construction sites, to ensure fully automated access to the area.

Merli Üle, Head of Business Development at Elisa, says that the use of energy-efficient IoT devices is on the rise. ‘The technology is suitable for use in everyday life, for example, in transmitting all kinds of readings – water, gas, and electricity. In addition to smoke detectors, security devices, smart city solutions, and logistics. Equipment operating on a low frequency is suitable for use in conditions where the volume of information being transmitted is not large, but it is important to ensure data transmission with the lowest possible energy consumption’.Merli Üle, Head of Business Development at Elisa, says that the use of energy-efficient IoT devices is on the rise. ‘The technology is suitable for use in everyday life, for example, in transmitting all kinds of readings – water, gas, and electricity. In addition to smoke detectors, security devices, smart city solutions, and logistics. Equipment operating on a low frequency is suitable for use in conditions where the volume of information being transmitted is not large, but it is important to ensure data transmission with the lowest possible energy consumption’.

The IoT Internet of Things allows you to connect devices to the network in an energy-efficient wayThe IoT Internet of Things allows you to connect devices to the network in an energy-efficient way

The IoT Internet of Things, or Narrowband IoT, allows devices to be connected to a network in an energy-efficient manner and data to be transmitted at low signal strengths. This means that they can be used successfully in locations such as underground basements or manholes, where normal 3G and 4G coverage does not extend.

Elisa launched the NB-IoT network in the autumn of 2018. The NB-IoT network is also an important step in the development of the 5G network, as the Internet of Things is one of the important uses for 5G technology.

The article was first published on Elisa’s homepage.