(Ecofin Agency) - Liquid Telecom Kenya struck a partnership agreement with Sigfox, specialized in Internet of Things network services, for the construction of Internet of Things (IoT) networks in Kenya. The agreement was signed in Nairobi on August 16, 2018, the first day of the East African Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence summit.  

Under that agreement, base stations supporting IoT networks will be built and deployed to cover 85% of the population. The stations will be connected to the optical fiber network of Liquid Telecom to guarantee highly reliable services.

By initiating these projects, Liquid Telecom wants to attract potential business opportunities within the government’s "Big Four agenda" which is a growth agenda focused on four pillars namely, agriculture, manufacturing, health and housing. In fact, Liquid Telecom wishes to digitalize the agriculture, transport, logistics, breeding and fishing, energy, industry, retailing, banking, and insurance as well as public utility sectors to create smart cities.

As Joel Muigai, Head of IoT Strategy at Liquid Telecom Kenya explains, the company will build a network which will enable them “to connect literally anything […] This network will allow Kenyans to develop their own homemade solutions for the many unique socio-economic and business challenges we face”.