NB-IoT networks are now live in Sydney and Melbourne
Vodafone Australia activated narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) network in Melbourne and Sydney. The NB-IoT network is also live in Frankston, Victoria, where Vodafone has been running NB-IoT trials with Huawei for the past year, and at Vodafone’s headquarters in North Sydney and Port Melbourne.
The Australian telco confirmed it will expand the network across Melbourne and surrounding suburbs next month and then to some Sydney and Canberra districts in December. During 2018, Vodafone said it will roll-out NB-IoT technology in other Australian cities.
As part of the network deployment, Vodafone had upgraded half of its network sites and deployed software upgrades on its radio access and core networks.
“NB-IoT offers customers a range of benefits including greater power efficiency, with devices able to run on batteries for 10 years or more on a single charge,” Vodafone’s executive GM of enterprise Stuart Kelly said.
“Australians will see a huge variety of products, services, and applications enabled by NB-IoT over the coming years as more carriers, vendors, utilities, and commercial organizations roll-out and harness the benefits of this new way of connecting devices. We expect NB-IoT to be a key driver behind Australia’s move towards becoming a smarter, more connected country.”
The operator also said two customers–telemetry and control network solutions provider Metasphere and control point management system provider CCP Technologies–are currently testing the NB-IoT network.
CCP, which uses sensors to monitor temperatures in food refrigeration environments, said it will use the new NB-IoT network to expand its business across the country.
Vodafone had previously announced plans to deploy NB-IoT networks in Australia, New Zealand and Germany during the second half of this year. In January this year, the UK-telco had launched NB-IoT technology in six Spanish cities. The telco currently provides coverage with this technologies in the cities of Madrid, Valencia Barcelona, Bilbao, Malaga and Seville.
