Vodafone launched the technology in Düsseldorf as part of an initiative to offer this service in 13 German cities by end-2018
Vodafone Germany has announced the activation of its NB-IoT network in Düsseldorf, German press reported. The NB-IoT launch is part of a wider program to promote the deployment of this technology in 13 cities across the European country.
Vodafone Germany, part of U.K. telecommunications group Vodafone, said the NB-IoT network should create the basis for new IoT applications in a number of industrial areas.
The company also said it is currently working to deploy its NB-IoT network on LTE 800 MHz frequencies in Berlin ahead of its scheduled activation in January 2018. The German operator also said it aims to deploy NB-IoT technology in 11 additional German cities by the end of next year.
Vodafone Group is actively working to deploy NB-IoT across its footprint in Europe. Last month, the company’s subsidiary in Romania, announced it has successfully tested usage of the NB-IoT technology in the oil and gas industry in partnership with European oil firm OMV Petrom.
The two companies tested NB-IoT technology on equipment located in the proximity of producing wells, in isolated areas, without cable internet access and without GSM coverage.
The trials were conducted both in lab conditions, as well as on the field, and they tested the connectivity of specialized equipment used in the oil and gas industry to OMV Petrom central datacentre through an over-the-air commercial network, Vodafone Romania said.
In January this year, Vodafone had activated its NB-IoT network in Spain. The initial NB-IoT deployments took place in Madrid and Valencia after upgrading existing 4G base stations.
In August, Vodafone Spain said it had 1,000 base stations for NB-IoT in the country, including recent launches in the cities of Zaragoza and Santander. Vodafone Spain also offers NB-IoT connectivity in Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao and Malaga.
The Spanish operator previously announced that the system would be used to connect various different product categories, including gas and water meters, smart bins, fire alarms, parking meters, lighting and other types of sensors.
Vodafone has also deployed a NB-IoT network in the Netherlands, which is already available in several cities across the country. The new technology had already been introduced at VodafoneZiggo offices in Maastricht, Utrecht and Amsterdam. The network is now also active in several locations in the cities of Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Hilversum, Den Bosch, Groningen, Delft and Schiphol.
The U.K-based telco has also launched NB-IoT technology in Ireland. Vodafone Ireland said it has upgraded existing 4G base stations, in cooperation with Swedish vendor Ericsson, to provide nationwide narrowband coverage. The NB-IoT network will also be able to operate alongside existing 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
Vodafone Ireland confirmed it was in discussions with potential customers serving both residential and industrial sectors. The European telco is also undertaking proof-of-concept trials in areas including smart lighting, smart parking and smart bins.
