Telecom network operator AT&T today announced its Internet of Things (IoT) technology deal with Maersk to connect its refrigerated containers.
This will be one of the largest Industrial IoT deployments of its kind, said AT&T.
AT&T will support Maersk to track the condition of refrigerated containers with perishable goods. Earlier, onsite supply chain managers would spend time manually checking the condition of each container.
Maersk’s shipping supervisors now have near-real time visibility into the conditions of refrigerated container at almost any part of its journey during the supply chain.
Amdi Krogh, vice president and head of Assets & Deployments, Maersk Line, said: “AT&T technology helps us improve the level of services we provide, helping ensure they are optimized and arrive in the proper condition.”
Maersk, one of the largest shipping container companies in the world, has connected over 290,000 of its refrigerated containers to the AT&T network. Each unit uses a remote container device (RCD) that has a 3G High Temperature SIM card, a GPS unit, a ZigBee radio and antenna, and multiple interfaces for connecting into the refrigerated container’s controller. The RCD can operate with two-way connectivity.
Machina Research said there will be 69 million M2M connections in the supply chain by 2023 with container tracking the biggest single area.
AT&T develops IoT technology for industries such as supply chain, insurance, industrial asset tracking and smart cities. AT&T said its IoT solutions include smart meter management, connected vehicles, smart city street and traffic lights.
