A networking technology developed by K-Best Technology Inc (全波科技), one of Acer Inc’s (宏碁) investments, could become the new global wireless communication standard for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Acer founder Stan Shih (施振榮) said yesterday.
It could pave the way for a new generation of products and IoT applications with margins as high as 30 to 40 percent, he said on the sidelines of a forum in Taipei.
K-Best in 2015 began refining “LoRa” (long range), a digital wireless data communication technology, the patent for which was acquired by California-based Semtech Corp. Its efforts were boosted in 2016 by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, which sought to commercialize radar technologies previously reserved for the military.
Photo: CNA
Shih said he hopes to see Taiwan take the lead in developing a global standard for IoT communication.
As K-Best’s core technology is military-grade, it is highly secure and reliable, and has a longer range, he added.
Dubbed “Super Taiwan Radio” (Super TaiRa), K-Best’s offering is a type of low-power wide-area network that allows communication between IoT devices, he said, adding that pilot solutions have begun tests at a number of high-tech factories in Taiwan.
Early adopters include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), he said.
Acer yesterday reported that revenue last month rose 4.1 percent annually and dipped 1.5 percent monthly to NT$21.84 billion (US$707.9 million), while cumulative revenue for the past year rose 2.2 percent annually to NT$242.57 billion.
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