Vodafone Announces NB-IoT Network Expansions In Spain, Germany

The U.K-based telecom group recently announced plans to double the size of its NB-IoT footprint in Europe by end-2019.

Vodafone Spain said that its national narrowband internet of things network has been expanded to cover all localities with more than 25,000 inhabitants.

The telco also said it has recently achieved substantial deployment in rural areas of the country and has also carried out a number of pilots with partners in a number of sectors, including specialists in water and waste management, agriculture, electricity, retail and smart city services.

In January 2017, Vodafone Spain launched its commercial NB-IoT in the country. The cities where this technology was initially available were Madrid and Valencia, with subsequent expansions to cities including Barcelona, Bilbao, Málaga and Seville.

The NB-IoT network was deployed within existing 800 MHz spectrum, with the telco only needing to make software updates in existing base stations in order to launch the technology. Vodafone said the use of licensed spectrum allows the telco to provide customers with the same levels of security as its LTE network and that the service will not be subject to potential disruption like alternative technologies utilizing unlicensed spectrum.

Vodafone also said its NB-IoT network is available in 90% of Germany’s territory. First launched late last year, the network has been expanded to several thousand cities and municipalities across Germany.

Vodafone Germany’s NB-IoT network can provide capacity for up to 4 billion devices simultaneously, according to the carrier.

Last month, Vodafone Group confirmed plans to double the number of European sites in its narrowband Internet of Things network footprint by the end of 2019. The U.K.-based telecom group said it has seen a growing demand from the enterprise segment for its NB-IoT offering. Vodafone said its NB-IoT network will be available in 10 European countries, including planned launches in the U.K., Romania and Hungary.

Outside of Europe, Vodafone also plans to expand its existing NB-IoT networks in other markets, including South Africa and Turkey. Vodafone has already launched NB-IoT networks in the Czech Republic; Germany; Greece; Ireland; Italy; Australia; Netherlands; South Africa; Spain and Turkey. – Enterprise IoT Insights