Vodafone announced that it will double the number of European cell sites in its NB-IoT(Narrowband IoT)network footprint by the end of 2019.
The major prioritisation of NB-IoT within Vodafone’s existing capital expenditure plans reflects the demand it has seen from enterprise customers. The world’s biggest, international NB-IoT network will be available in 10 European countries, including planned launches in the UK, Romania and Hungary. Outside of Europe, Vodafone will also expand its existing NB-IoT networks in South Africa and Turkey.
Vodafone has launched NB-IoT networks in: Czech Republic; Germany; Greece; Ireland; Italy; Australia; Netherlands; South Africa; Spain; and Turkey. The Operator is the global leader in managed IoT, with 74 million connections and an international network and services platform supporting a wide range of business critical applications. Vodafone IoT technologies are embedded within connected vehicles built by Audi, BMW, Daimler Benz, Ford, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, SEAT, VW and Yamaha motorbikes. Vodafone’s IoT network and services also support smart meter capabilities for energy companies including Centrica, EDF and nPower and provide connectivity for consumer electronics products such as the Amazon Kindle and devices manufactured by Bosch, Panasonic, Philips Lighting and TomTom.
Stefano Gastaut, Iot Director, Vodafone
NB-IoT gives businesses access to 5G capabilities a year before we expect large-scale consumer availability and I believe this will be a catalyst in the widespread use of IoT by enterprises.
