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Solar-powered kiosks bring electricity to underdeveloped countries

Amsterdam-based digital security provider Gemalto is delivering M2M connectivity to its solar powered SOLARKIOSK.

September 17, 2014

Amsterdam-based digital security provider Gemalto is delivering M2M connectivity to its solar powered SOLARKIOSK, the company said.

The SOLARKIOSK is designed to provide sustainable energy through photovoltaic panels built into its roof. The Cinterion model provides M2M connectivity that powers a mobile router and tracks energy used through a Web interface. Industrial communications provider INSYS icom oversees the project and monitors the solar panels.

The kiosks are intended for use in rural areas of underdeveloped countries, and projects are currently underway for Botswana, Ethiopia and Kenya. SOLARKIOSKs offer plug-in electricity to appliances, like refrigerators storing medicine, and other devices. They generate "enough electricity to operate the cellular router and recharge 220 cell phones in a single day - up to 80 at the same time," the company said.

"One of the biggest challenges for M2M communication is to properly function in extreme environments such as the intense heat of an African desert or the tremendous moisture of a South American rainforest," said Michael Gartz, Director Sales and Marketing for INSYS icom, in the announcement. "INSYS icom and Gemalto heavy duty technologies are ideally suited for those areas which are not connected to an electricity grid, such as rural and remote areas in developing countries and districts affected by disasters. An estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide live in such regions, with 600 million in Africa alone and SOLARKIOSK will be there to serve them."