Vodafone is collaborating with Huawei to open the world’s first Narrowband Internet-of-Things(NB-IoT) lab in the UK to deliver low cost connected devices. The open lab in Newbury, UK is the first of several planned labs across the globe. The NB-IoT labs will provide developers with software development kits, live test networks, and an end-to-end connectivity model, including service support and device management, accessible through Vodafone’s Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
Vodafone also announced that it will roll out NB-IoT technology in multiple markets during 2017. Given the strong industry support it receives, NB-IoT is expected to be the leading LPWA technology, said Vodafone.
Announcing the opening, Erik Brenneis, Group Director, Internet of Things, Vodafone wrote in a blog, "However, there is still a group of devices which require a simpler, lower cost network technology. That is where Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networks will fit in to provide functions from sensor monitoring to asset tracking, connecting millions of products.
In future, manufacturers will be able to create connected devices that wholesale for just a few dollars by using NB-IoT."
