South African connectivity provider iONLINE Connected Networks and Nodle, a company that operates a decentralized Bluetooth network for internet of things applications, are expanding a crowdsourced connectivity model in South Africa designed to reduce the infrastructure requirements associated with large scale IoT deployments.
The partnership focuses on a growing challenge facing IoT projects: how to extend tracking and sensor coverage without relying on large numbers of dedicated gateways and fixed infrastructure. The companies are positioning the model around Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity and smartphone participation, allowing mobile devices to act as network nodes that relay data from connected assets into backend systems.
According to iONLINE, the model is intended to support deployments where cost and power consumption limit traditional tracking approaches, particularly for asset monitoring and lightweight telemetry applications.
“With Nodle, we’re enabling a fundamentally new approach to IoT connectivity in South Africa, one that is lower cost, massively scalable and capable of delivering real-world asset visibility without the complexity and power consumption traditionally associated with tracking technologies,” said Carel Wessels, head of IoT solutions at iONLINE.
Nodle, which says its network runs across millions of devices in regions including Africa, Europe, Asia and North America, uses its own networking stack and mobile platform to create what it calls the Nodle Trust Network. The infrastructure relies on participating smartphones that collect Bluetooth signals and relay data using cellular connectivity, WiFi and, in the future, direct to cell satellite connections.
The companies say the model shifts IoT deployment economics by using devices already carried by users instead of requiring dense infrastructure rollouts. As network participation grows, coverage expands through increased node density.
“The real power of this partnership lies in the shared network effect,” said Wessels. “Any connected mobile device effectively becomes part of the IoT infrastructure, allowing us to build one of the densest and most accessible IoT coverage networks in the region.”
The deployment is expected to support applications including parcel tracking, logistics operations, spare parts monitoring, pharmaceutical shipments, consumer returns and other asset classes where tracking costs have historically limited deployment.
The network will also support iONLINE’s FlexiTag tracking devices alongside third party Bluetooth enabled tags compatible with the infrastructure.
“South Africa is one of the most mobile-first enterprise markets in the world, and iONLINE has the customer relationships, applications and operational depth to bring the Nodle network to scale there. Together we can give South African enterprises a more affordable and verifiable way to know where their assets are,” said Micha Anthenor Benoliel, co-founder and CEO of Nodle.
The companies said the network operates using an opt in participation model, with encrypted data transmission and anonymous usage options designed to limit the impact on battery life and mobile data consumption.
