Pilot project with Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery an important step forward in developing IoT smart technology solutions
for agriculture
PELHAM, ON, Nov. 9, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced it has partnered with BeWhere Technologies and Huawei to implement an automated Internet of Things (IoT) solution for the Henry of Pelham vineyard to help improve planning
and sustainability programs. The announcement took place this morning with the three partners, alongside Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who highlighted the partnership ahead of her
trade mission to China.
"Ontario's technology sector is leading the way when it comes to developing solutions that
can promote sustainability, grow our economy and create opportunities for our people," said Kathleen
Wynne, Premier of Ontario. "This new IoT pilot shows the innovation that can be achieved
when internationally recognized companies like Huawei partner with world-class Ontario
businesses like Bell Mobility, BeWhere and Henry of Pelham and leverage the incredible talent of
our province's highly skilled workers."
By using wireless environmental sensors connected to Bell's LTE-M wireless network, the winery will be able to remotely
monitor temperature and water levels, prevent vine disease, and ultimately improve the health of its plants, lowering operating
costs and providing for years of maintenance-free data gathering.
"Unexpected adverse weather conditions can impact quality, yield and mortality of our crops," said Matthew Speck, Owner/Viticulturist of Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery. "Bell's solution will increase the
density of our environmental monitoring. We'll be able to automatically act on temperature inversions by turning on fans when
temperatures change, ensuring the health of our grapes and an optimal product for our customers. The solution is not only
economical and scalable, it gives growers a good view of the vines' temperature needs to improve quality and drive
sustainability."
"Bell's leadership in LTE-M wireless technology and in the IoT space is a result of our continued investment and innovation in broadband communications networks and
services," said Claire Gillies, Vice President, Bell Mobility. "The
LTE-M network enables smart sensors to collect and send data over a wider range and with much better battery life – a perfect fit
for Henry of Pelham, wineries and growers across the country and many other industries."
In June, Bell announced it will launch an LTE-M (Long Term Evolution, category M1) wireless network in 2018 to support the rapidly increasing use of IoT
devices on low-power, wide-area networks (LPWANs) in Canada.
LTE-M improves the operating efficiency of IoT devices by enabling very low power consumption and better coverage in
underground and other hard-to-reach locations. In partnership with Huawei, Bell has successfully demonstrated these benefits in
its Mississauga wireless innovation lab and in network field trials.
"This project represents the best of what we can achieve when working with our long-term partner Bell and emerging Canadian
IoT companies like BeWhere," said Steve Lu, President of Huawei
Canada. "We are excited about the future of IoT and the benefits that smart agriculture solutions will bring to farms and
vineyards across the country."
"Bell's LTE-M network combined with BeWhere's environmental sensors and cloud-based applications will provide Henry of
Pelham with a perfect solution to help them do what they do best – produce fine wines," said
Owen Moore, CEO of BeWhere. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Bell, Huawei and
Henry of Pelham on this project."
LTE-M will support a broad range of large-scale IoT solutions, including smart city services, smart metering, home automation,
weather and environmental monitoring, asset tracking, supply chain management, security monitoring, transportation and logistics,
as well as personal wearables for healthcare and accessibility applications.
About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing broadband wireless, TV, Internet and to consumers and business
customers. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital
media. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell
Let's Talk Day, and provides significant Bell funding of mental health care and access, research and workplace leadership
initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk
About BeWhere
BeWhere (TSXV: BEW) (OTCQB: BEWFF) is an Industrial
Internet of Things (IIOT) solutions company that designs and manufacturers hardware with sensors and software applications to
track real-time information on movable assets. The company develops mobile applications, middle-ware and cloud based solutions
that stand-alone or that can be readily integrated with existing software. Its solutions enable end-users a level of operational
visibility that is more easily accessible and significantly easier to implement than in the past. www.facebook.com/bewhereinc/; www.linkedin.com/company/bewhere-inc-
About Huawei
Huawei is a leading global information and
communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Huawei's 177,000 employees worldwide are committed to developing innovative
products that support operator, enterprise and consumer customers around the world. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company
fully owned by its employees, and has been named by Interbrand as one of the world's top 100 brands – the first Chinese company
to receive this recognition.
Huawei Canada has been
in operation since 2008, and now employs over 700 people in Canada. Huawei's innovative wireless products and services
support many of Canada's leading telecommunications companies, and the Huawei Canada Research Centre is a national
leader in advanced communications research, including 5G. Huawei is proud to be a key part of Canada's ICT
Ecosystem, and is recognized as one of the Top 30 investors in research & development.
Media inquiries:
Nathan Gibson
Bell Canada
905-614-9596
nathan.gibson@bell.ca
@Bell_News
Scott Bradley
Huawei Canada
613-558-5333
scott.bradley@huawei.com
Brian Boychuk
BeWhere
416-272-1268
bboychuk@bewhere.com
Bell investor inquiries:
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada
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