Ukkoverkot said it has signed an agreement with Finnish construction company Fira Group to provide private LTE connectivity to new housing and office developments as well as for buildings undergoing renovation. The service will run on the 2.6 GHz network. A pilot scheme will run at a development in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The operator said tighter energy efficiency requirements for buildings and construction sites cause interference with mobile reception, operators are reluctant to move into new residential areas during their construction phase.
Niko Vironen, development manager at Fira Group, said digitising the final link will enable it to gain knowledge throughout the entire construction chain. The network provides access to its enhanced scheduling programme, Sitedrive, for example.
Jouko Tuppurainen, director at Ukkoverkot, said the building sector is undergoing a transition, whereby digitisation makes it possible to achieve significant efficiency and quality in construction processes. With its private LTE, 5G-ready product, Ukkoverkot can dramatically accelerate this digitisation, Tuppurainen said.