Please help us!

We need as many Tevi businesses as possible to help build our environmental sensor network (TeviSENSE) by hosting one of our TeviNET devices. Almost every Tevi business is suitable and the process is quick and easy.


COVID-19 Update: During the current situation, we are still urgently seeking your help! Whether your business premises are still open or you are working from home, you can be part of our network. We are now sending out our indoor TeviNET devices for self-install. If you can spare literally a couple of minutes of your time to plug in our device then you can help build a network that could give Cornwall valuable infrastructure and potentially a more resilient future – more important now than ever. Please sign up for installation now, or read on to find out more.


We previously told you about our roll-out of the TeviFIRE-E energy monitoring system, the first package in our sensor network (TeviSENSE) for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (IoS). We are excited to announce that we are now installing two other new packages on our network TeviLIFE-C (our network of nature cameras – more details of this to follow soon) and TeviNET.

On a cold and blustery (but thankfully dry) February day at Newlyn Harbour we were able to add TeviLIFE-C and TeviNET to our previous TeviFIRE-E installation giving Fishy Filaments our full complement of sensor packages. Once again, we’re very grateful to Ian Falconer at Fishy Filaments for his enthusiasm as our sensor guinea pig! His help has been invaluable in working out teething problems and getting everything running smoothly (and quietly!).

What is TeviNET?

Digital technology and the internet of things are set to play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with some estimates that they could contribute to reductions of as much as 15% by 2030. We hope that digital technologies will help Tevi’s goals of environmental growth, resource efficiency and moving towards a circular economy. Having a suitable communication system to support the roll-out of such technology is a key challenge, particularly in a rural area like Cornwall.

TeviNET is a network of radio gateways that will create a very low power communication network for our environmental sensors. These gateways will listen for transmissions from small battery-powered sensors, relaying data back to us over the internet and occasionally sending configuration updates back to the sensors. Using LoRa technology, transmissions can be received at ranges up to 15km with a relatively small and unobtrusive antenna. This means that every gateway installed can have a significant impact on coverage across Cornwall/IoS.

While the network can only be used to transmit small infrequent data packets, it is still perfect for many environmental sensing applications. This will allow us to expand our sensor network by trialling further business resource-focussed packages, such as: water usage, temperature and waste monitoring. We can also look to monitor parameters in the wider environment, such as: noise and light pollution, air quality, and rainfall. This might provide more comprehensive and timely data to anticipate and respond to pollution and flooding events that impact on our communities. The network can also support wildlife monitoring research that helps conservation efforts for some of our most vulnerable species on land, air and sea – from hedgehogs and birds to dolphins and whales.

Why not use mobile networks?

Existing 4G and future 5G networks will undoubtedly bring big internet of things benefits in the future but TeviNET is complementary to these. Compared to cellular and satellite communication, the low-power technology will allow sensors to be smaller, cheaper, made using fewer resources and potentially run for years on battery power. The infrastructure is also compact and flexible. This mean that coverage can easily be expanded to study areas of interest, where there might not be existing mobile coverage and where it might not be efficient or desirable to expand mobile coverage.

How can you help?

We need as many Tevi businesses as possible to help us roll out this network by hosting a TeviNET device. Whether your business is operated from home, a shared office, a shop, a farm or an industrial unit you could play a role in our network. Outdoor devices typically fix to an outside wall, but if this is not suitable for your business (on shared premises, for example) then we also have indoor devices. These look much like a small WiFi router and are typically installed in just 5 minutes. The only requirements are access to the internet and a power socket. Since the gateways only relay very compact messages, the internet bandwidth used is negligible on most connections. Even if the gateway was being used at full capacity (which would likely be rare, if ever), we estimate that it would use bandwidth of just 0.25Mbps.

Beyond Tevi

By hosting a gateway you will be supporting us with our plans to trial new devices and expand our range of environmental sensors. You will also be Tevi-ready for any future sensors packages we deploy to help give insights into your business. You will also be part of something bigger still. We want this network to be an asset not just for us but for you, your local community and for Cornwall/IoS as a whole.

In cooperation with our install partner Ver Facil Limited, we would like to see this Tevi network used across Cornwall for a wide range of projects. This could be agritech projects permitting more efficient farming practices that use fewer chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It could be smart grid applications, promoting energy efficiency and perhaps making better use of renewable energy resources. Location tracking could prevent the loss of both terrestrial and marine assets that might otherwise cause environmental problems. It could even be used in health and welfare applications, for example safety-of-life for outdoor/marine recreation. There are so many exciting possibilities.

Please consider signing up here: https://tevi.co.uk/tevinet-request/

Or contact us for more information: [email protected]