Right now, major changes are taking place in Swedish cities. For example, the city of Stockholm’s Climate Action Plan says that Stockholm must be completely fossil-free and climate positive by 2040. As early as 2025, petrol and diesel cars will be banned in parts of central Stockholm, which means alternative modes of mobility must fill the gap.

This is where solutions such as electric vehicles, drone deliveries, and other smart mobility services have entered the picture. They are no longer a future concept; they are a reality – and they are made possible through the use of technology.

Tele2 has long been a key player in the developing future of transport. We have a number of customers who continuously introduce new solutions and products to the market and through the use of technology such as IoT, we help our customers’ visions become reality.

Shared vision for future challenges

At the recent Stockholm Chamber of Commerce’s seminar “Urban mobility”, it was clear that we are only at the beginning of this massive mobility transition, but also that the vision is well on its way to becoming a reality.

Together with leading players such as Scania, Ports of Stockholm, VOI, Candela, Torghatten, Easypark, and a number of others, we discussed tomorrow’s urban mobility picture. There is no shortage of challenges when residents, commuters and businesses have to share a limited area, but the potential is enormous. Through strategic planning, cooperation, and a joint commitment to the transition, we can make significant progress.

We have a range of innovations at our disposal. But how can we best take advantage of all the new technology? And who will shoulder the responsibility?

Innovative technology creates new opportunities

At Tele2, accelerating sustainability through technology is one of our focus areas and we have set ourselves the goal of achieving net zero emissions in the value chain by 2035. We are doing this in a number of ways, including changing to a more circular business model. For example, from now through 2030 we will require a 30 percent return of mobile phones. We will also use innovative technology to create solutions together with customers and partners that provide customer value while also promoting sustainability.

An example of how technology can enable sustainable urban development is Tele2’s collaboration with Norwegian company Zeabuz and their partner Torghatten. Together, they leveraged 5G and IoT to launch the world’s first electric autonomous public ferry in Stockholm, Sweden in the spring of 2023.

This collaboration represents a new era for how people can transport in a way that we have never seen before in Sweden. I am convinced that we will see more areas of use in other industries as well.

Customer vision realized through technology

EV (Electric Vehicle) charging infrastructure is also crucial when it comes to urban mobility. Last year, 11,000 new charging points were installed in Sweden, something that has been crucial not only for the more than 500,000 electric cars on Swedish roads, but also for the increasing number of electric buses and trucks we see in operation across the country.

One example of how we at Tele2 are a key part of this infrastructure is Vattenfall connecting all their European charging stations (which provide 100 percent fossil-free electricity) with Tele2 IoT’s seamless global connectivity. Tele2 IoT’s cellular connectivity allows Vattenfall to monitor the charging stations remotely.

At Tele2, we work closely with our customers and find ways to realize their vision in order to meet both their business needs and their customers’ needs. I strongly believe that corporate goals and sustainability goals should go hand in hand. Only then can companies and organizations significantly contribute to a sustainable transition.

In our latest sustainability report, it is estimated that our customers, through the use of Tele2’s products and services, have avoided over 800,000 tons of emissions. This corresponds to more than 300 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain. Tele2 has been ranked number two among 500 European companies in the Financial Times’ latest 2024 evaluation of Europe’s climate leaders.

Telecoms and IoT are important enablers in the sustainable transition, regardless of whether it is electric ferries, drone deliveries, or sustainable forest harvesting.

We are committed to contributing towards better sustainability and supporting our customers and partners in their journey.

I am really looking forward to driving sustainability together and finding new use cases.

Stefan Trampus
Executive Vice President B2B
Tele2

As we near the end of the first month of 2024, we’ve been evaluating how 2023 went for us – and I can say it was a great year, one that exceeded our expectations. The highlights for the Tele2 IoT team included high double-digit profitable growth, once again outgrowing the market average, and an NPS score of 54 (industry average 25-33), with 10 000 customers and 12 million connections reached. I would like to thank all our customers, partners, and my talented team for a very successful 2023.

We also had a double anniversary in 2023, with Tele2 Group celebrated 30 years, and Tele2 IoT celebrating its ten-year anniversary. And last but not least, IoT Talks 2023 in November was a fantastic success, with customers, partners, and many other interested parties joining us both onsite in Stockholm and online to discuss everything IoT.

Tele2 IoT has been driving a lot of innovation in the eUICC area and that is something we intend to continue with. In 2023, we witnessed a trend shift for which type of SIMs that are being ordered from us as the eUICC adoption really took off. During the first half of 2024 we will come with an eUICC-based launch that will unlock 2 “restricted markets” – Brazil and Turkey, which is great news for those companies who want to enter these markets with a strong partner.

Amazon Bedrock enables fast-paced building and scaling of generative AI applications, and we think this innovative solution is set to redefine customer service standards. We will continue to deliver on our internal digitalization/automation process to keep improving customer and employee experiences.

We are hard at work on our updated ambitions and strategy, including new capabilities, so stay tuned.

We’ll have a team at MWC Barcelona in February this year, so please feel free to book a time to speak with us – keep an eye on our LinkedIn page for other events we’ll be attending this year. We look forward to meeting you during 2024 and understanding more about how we can help you leverage IoT to enable your business success.

IoT Love is our motto around the office, and it drives us to keep reaching new heights when it comes to serving our customers and the IoT market. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments you might have.

Cyril Deschanel
Managing Director
Tele2 IoT

I am incredibly passionate about the environment and in recent years, the world has become increasingly aware of the pressing need for environmental conservation and sustainability, which is amazing news. With the rise of technology, specifically the Internet of Things (IoT), we have a powerful tool at our disposal to address myriad sustainability challenges. This blog explores the potential of IoT to mitigate the environmental impact and create a more sustainable future. Tele2 is a leader in the sustainability arena, ranked #1 on the Financial Times’ Europe’s Climate Leaders 2023 list. Here are some of the ways Tele2 has worked with customers and manufacturers.

1. Understanding the Environmental Impact

The first step towards finding solutions is acknowledging the significant environmental impact of human activities. From energy consumption to waste generation, our modern lifestyle has put a strain on the planet. IoT devices can help us gather real-time data and better understand the extent of these impacts.

2. Smart Energy Management

One of the most significant contributions IoT can make is in the area of energy management. By connecting devices and systems, IoT enables real-time monitoring and control of energy consumption, optimizing energy usage, and reducing waste. Smart thermostats, for example, can adjust temperature settings based on occupancy patterns, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Efficient Resource Management

IoT can revolutionize resource management by providing actionable insights through data analytics. Smart sensors embedded in infrastructure and manufacturing processes can monitor resource usage, detect inefficiencies, and suggest improvements. This can lead to significant reductions in water consumption, material waste, and overall resource consumption.

4. Precision Agriculture

Agriculture is a sector with immense potential for IoT applications. By using sensors, drones, and AI-powered analytics, farmers can monitor soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels, enabling precise irrigation and fertilization. This not only increases crop yields but also reduces water usage and minimizes the need for harmful pesticides.

5. Waste Management and Recycling:

Efficient waste management is crucial for environmental sustainability. IoT-enabled smart waste bins can optimize waste collection routes, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Additionally, IoT can facilitate better sorting and recycling practices by tracking and identifying recyclable materials, ensuring maximum resource recovery.

6. Environmental Monitoring and Conservation:

IoT devices can be deployed to monitor environmental factors like air quality, water pollution, and wildlife habitats. Real-time data collection and analysis can help identify areas of concern and enable prompt action. For example, sensors in rivers can detect water contamination, triggering alerts for immediate remediation.

7. Creating Eco-conscious Consumers:

IoT can empower individuals to make more sustainable choices. Smart home devices can provide real-time energy consumption data, encouraging users to reduce their carbon footprint. IoT-enabled apps can suggest eco-friendly alternatives for everyday products and services, promoting sustainable consumption habits.

Conclusion:

The Internet of Things presents a vast array of opportunities to address environmental challenges and create a more sustainable future. By harnessing the power of IoT, we can optimize energy usage, improve resource management, revolutionise agriculture, enhance waste management practices, and monitor and conserve our environment. However, it is crucial to ensure that IoT development is guided by sustainable principles, prioritising energy efficiency, responsible manufacturing, and end-of-life recycling. By integrating Tele2 IoT solutions into our daily lives, we can collectively work towards a greener and more environmentally conscious world.

Joanna Cracknell
Sales Manager
Tele2 IoT

In Sweden we are famously good at queuing: we queue to get onboard the bus and at the check-out in the supermarket. One thing at a time, patiently waiting in line seems to suit us. Can this also be applied to some of the big, existential challenges that face us? When it comes to fighting climate change, do other sustainability problems have to get in line and wait their turn?

On the day this blog is published, in just 6 years and 56 days we have to reach net zero emissions if we are going to achieve the target of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Add to that record high concentrations of CO₂ in the atmosphere, sea levels rising by 26 centimeters since 1880, and 30% of the polar ice caps having disappeared since 1970. As there is overwhelming evidence that we must act quickly, there is increasing support from both businesses and governments to decrease the negative climate impact that we have as societies, companies, and individuals.

Currently 70 countries have committed to reducing emissions to net zero by 2050, covering 76% of global greenhouse gas emissions. More than 3000 companies are also engaging with the Science-Based Targets initiative to set ambitious climate targets in line with the latest climate science, including Tele2, which has committed to net zero emissions by 2035. At the same time, we run the risk of creating new sustainability problems in our attempts to reduce our negative impact on the climate. This could both be negative environmental impact, for instance increased use of various resources, such as raw materials or energy, or negative social impact, for instance on working conditions somewhere along our global value chains, such as occupational health and safety for workers or the use of child labor.

As the need for data centers continues to grow, so will the energy consumption. For instance, the International Energy Association estimates that in Denmark the energy consumption for data centers will increase six times by 2030 and will by then account for almost 15% of the country’s total energy consumption.

This presents us with a problem that is becoming increasingly common as sustainability and sustainable business practices are gaining momentum: goal conflicts. This is not new to sustainability, and it is not unique to sustainability. Societies, companies, and individuals face goal conflicts every day. Should society invest more in healthcare or schooling? Should companies invest more in R&D or in upskilling employees? How do we weigh and value different aspects of these conflicting goals? And what kind and what level of negative impact can we tolerate?

This brings us to an axiom for sustainable business: “increase positive environmental impact, decrease negative social impact while growing the business”. When that is applied to our industry, we have to ensure that data centers are run and managed in a way that decreases their negative impact on people and the planet, so that we can harness the effect for sustainable transition that they can provide.

Let me be clear, data centers are not sustainable, and will not be sustainable for many years to come. However, the output that we can get from data centers is so valuable in enabling a transition for businesses and societies to become more sustainable through for instance smart cities, smart energy, smart working, smart transport, smart agriculture, and smart manufacturing, that the trade-off will be worth it. Having said that, it does not mean that we have carte blanche to do business-as-usual in data centers. We must do everything we can to make sure that we run data centers that are more sustainable than those of the past (and present). We do that by using 100% renewable energy, employing efforts to increase energy efficiency, aggregating hardware to reap rewards of large scale operations, using free-cooling instead of cooling systems using refrigerants, using excess heat on-site or provide it to district heating systems, and at the end of the useful life of hardware ensure that it is re-used, refurbished, reconditioned or, if none of that is possible, broken down into components and recycled to decrease the extraction of new raw materials in nature.

Innovative technology based on connectivity will be one of the greatest enablers in ensuring that we can tackle climate change. We just have to make sure to minimize the underlying negative impacts on people and planet that this technology may have. That way we can manage one of the great goal conflicts that faces our industry today, so that we can tackle climate change without having to ask other sustainability problems to wait in line.

Many micromobility companies have not only been addressing these challenges such around parking, speed, more than one rider, etc., they have also been adding additional bells and whistles that benefit society as a whole.

Leveraging IoT technology & cellular connectivity

Some players in the micro-mobility space are keen to be part of the solution, rather than the problem, so they are working with both competitors and cities governments to address various challenges. One effort involves teaming up with peers to install ‘scooter racks’ – similar to the bike racks we see used for city bike schemes – showing exactly where to find these racks on an app. The app also uses geofencing that addresses where the scooter can park or ride, which means payment will not be terminated unless you park in a designated area. This is where IoT technology is crucial, because a micro-mobility company would not be able to geo-fence or process payments without it. And this solution can be applied across the micro-mobility sector.

Because micromobility is very much a ‘green’ transportation solution, there are initiatives to place air quality sensors on e-scooters. The sensors measure air quality and then send collected data back to the city, which helps the city understand where there are trouble areas and incorporate that information into their larger city planning. E-scooters are particularly suited to this initiative, as they travel nearly everywhere in the city, even in places where cars don’t go. So, while the main purpose of an e-scooter is green transportation, there can be added benefits that enhance the environmental efforts of cities.

None of these initiatives, though, would be possible without IoT and cellular connectivity – and as the micromobility ecosystem evolves, we’ll see more and more initiatives that not only continue to make micromobility a welcome addition to our city lives, they will help our cities become more sustainable.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can help your micromobility solution, please get in touch.

Anders Jutered
Key Account Manager
Tele2 IoT

Around the world, there is a growing demand for digital displays that deliver high-resolution content in shops, restaurants and public spaces. With fleets of displays spread over wide distances, digital signage system integrators need a solution to improve processes, increase ROI, and capture new business opportunities.

Instead of using limited (and often troublesome) LAN and WiFi connections, delivering content to displays over cellular networks has become increasingly attractive. By empowering media players with SIM card connectivity, digital displays can be installed anywhere in the world where cellular networks exist – which is almost everywhere.  All configurations can be done before sending out to the site of installation, saving a lot of onsite challenges and local configuration on firewalls and networks.

The benefits of installing SIM cards in digital displays become clear when signage solutions are installed at the customer site. The System Integrator (SI) will be able to install faster since everything can be pre-configured before deployment. Here, the SI will see rapid results and stronger revenue. At the same time, the Managed Connectivity solution from Tele2 IoT is highly effective and the asset management for the SIM subscriptions saves a lot of time and money for System Integrators.

A SIM-enabled display solution also reduces cost and complexity for the user or end customer. Since the SI brings its own internet connection, there is no interference with the network. This means there is no need for an IT project – no firewalls to open, no passwords to be shared, and no competition for bandwidth.

As the current urbanization trend puts pressure on city development, there is a need to manage transport to and from a construction site more efficiently, as well as materials handling on-site. Why is this important?

Well, the facts* are clear:

• 50% of urban goods transport (weight) in Sweden are construction-related
• 10% of CO2 emissions in a construction householding projects are transport related
• Urban areas will continue to be under constant development

These facts were presented at a very educational final conference of the MIMIC project, a JPI Urban Europe project with partners from Belgium, Norway, Austria, and Sweden.  This project aims to demonstrate how smart governance concepts can be used to aid in the construction and city planning processes, facilitating and supporting logistics to, from, and on urban construction sites. This is needed to improve mobility and reduce congestion within cities and thereby reduce the negative impact of construction sites on the surrounding community.

Current construction logistics not optimized with city logistics in mind

It seems most construction projects are run as silos with 3 phases: pre-production, ongoing production, and during use. One approach that is often used is to employ Construction Logistics Setups (CSL) in order to face three challenges: management of transport to and from construction sites, management of logistics at construction sites, and managing the interorganizational relationships amongst construction project stakeholders.

2021 has been an amazing year for Tele2 IoT. We have continued to innovate, launching both 5G and LTE-M (including international roaming), as well as developed our partnership with Equinix in order to offer heightened security to the IoT market with Private Interconnect and Cloud Interconnect. We are very proud to have developed these solutions for our customers, giving them the tools they need to successfully and securely implement or internationally deploy their IoT solutions.

Last year, in my end-of-year blog I touted our incredible growth – and I’d like to do it again this year. Tele2 IoT has enjoyed over 20% year-on-year revenue growth during 2021, which is well above the market. I attribute this to the incredible engagement of my team, which is fully energized and full of our well-known IoT Love. We can see this in our customer satisfaction survey results (Net Promoter Score=NPS), which this year sees customer trust more than doubling to 24, a number we are very proud of.

And of course, our annual IoT event IoT Talks has become one of the the largest IoT events in the Nordic region. This year we welcomed more than 700 guests to IoT Talks both digitally and onsite. The theme this year was Innovating the Ordinary, with customers discussing their IoT journeys and how IoT has enabled their solutions. We were also very pleased to welcome Tele2 Group CEO Kjell Johnsen to the stage, along with other important internal players from our organization, to discuss everything from emerging and evolving technology to our vision for the future.

I would like to join my team in wishing you all warm season greetings and a wonderful new year. Even in the midst of the ongoing global pandemic we remain dedicated to serving our customers, available and acting as your friendly experts.

With warm regards,

Cyril Deschanel
Managing Director
Tele2 IoT