CAT eyes GPS to track trucks

CAT Telecom has teamed with three providers of GPS tracking technology to offer GPS tracking services for trucks and capitalise on smart logistics development in Thailand.

The move is part of an application development for the Internet of Things (IoT) in smart vehicles.

According to CAT chief executive Sanpachai Huvanandana, the GPS tracking package offered to 10-wheeler trucks is in line with the regulation of the Department of Land Transport (DLT), effective in January 2016, that all new 10-wheeler trucks must install a GPS system before registering with the DLT.

Based on the regulation, existing public trucks that registered before January 2016 have to install the GPS tracking system within 2018, and all present private trucks have to do so by 2019.

The CAT chief recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the DLT director-general to jointly develop an ICT system providing GPS tracking services for trucks.

DLT director-general Sanith Phromwong said there are 800,000 10-wheeler trucks in the country. The department aims to install GPS tracking in 300,000 trucks by this year, 500,000 by 2018 and in all trucks by 2019.

“CAT provides a mobile SIM in a package bundled with GPS equipment offered by CAT’s partners for truck owners who want promotional packages,” Col Sanpachai said.

Three packages come with unlimited 3G wireless internet at speeds of 128kbps and 384kbps.

“The price is almost 50% cheaper than for other operators,” Col Sanpachai said, adding that the GPS package service is in line with smart logistics as part of the government’s digital economy policy.

“CAT aims to co-developing applications with partners to serve the IoT ecosystem,” the CAT chief said.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission recently reported that connectivity of IoT-enabled devices will reach 20 billion pieces in the global market by 2020.

Real-time connectivity of IoT-enabled devices assists operations in various industries and in society.

Col Sanpachai said smart logistics needs real-time connectivity for better energy cost savings, supply chain management and transport security.

Cooperation with DLT will lead to more collaborations in the future, such as development of the IoT ecosystem based on logistics database sharing.