T-Mobile Netherlands notes planned NB-IoT network set to launch next week to be initially available in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven
Dutch mobile operator T-Mobile Netherlands confirmed its narrowband “internet of things” network will be commercially available in major cities across the country starting next week.
The telco, fully owned by Deutsche Telekom, said the NB-IoT network will be initially available in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven and the area surrounding Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The operator also confirmed nationwide expansion plans for next year.
A handful of firms have already announced plans to tap into the network, including indoor climate control firm Itho Daalderop, railway maintenance specialist Dual Inventive and sensor maker Smartsensors.
“T-Mobile has chosen very deliberately NB-IoT because this technique uses our own licensed spectrum,” said Richard Marijs, technology strategist at T-Mobile Netherlands. “NB-IoT can relatively easily be activated on our existing network, by making use of the 900 MHz band which is also used for 4G. So we can activate nationwide NB-IoT in a short time.”
Considered a low-power wide-area network technology, NB-IoT is seen as a key component in machine-to-machine communication for IoT. The technology runs on existing operator networks in licensed spectrum to support IoT devices, and is optimized for applications with low bandwidth requirements, such as smart parking, smart metering or smart waste management.
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Vodafone announces impending activation of NB-IoT network in 4 markets
Vodafone announced it plans to activate an NB-IoT network early next year in Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands and Spain. The telco said the deployment will only require a software upgrade to its existing LTE base stations.
The carrier said other markets will follow later in 2017, with full coverage of Vodafone’s global network planned by 2020.
Last week, Vodafone completed a test of an NB-IoT connected product on a commercial network. During the trial, Vodafone Spain connected a parking sensor buried in a space within the Vodafone Plaza in Madrid. A smartphone app showed that the space was occupied when a car parked in it and went back to showing it as unoccupied when the car left the space.
“The questions of battery life and deep inbuilding penetration have now been answered by NB-IoT,” said Ivo Rook, IoT director at Vodafone. “The low cost of the modules means we can expect a new wave of connected devices and soaring market demand.”