Finnish 5G IoT lighting trial aims at property management

A trial installation of Internet connected indoor lighting in Finland hopes to establish how combining intelligent LEDs with next-generation 5G mobile networks can help facility managers better operate their buildings. It also aims to develop new service-oriented business models centered around property management.

The lighting system, provided by Finnish company Helvar, is part of a broader Internet of Things (IoT) experiment across 1000 m2 (10,764 ft2) at the University of Oulu, on Finland's west coast. Helvar is one of 15 companies and 5 research groups participating in what's called the VIRPA C project, funded with an undisclosed amount from the central government's TEKES technology funding agency.