Vodafone expands IoT coverage as customer demand skyrockets

20th July 2021

Vodafone Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) coverage has expanded to reach 98% of UK geography.

Vodafone has doubled the number of sites in its Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) network to meet the increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) services. Vodafone NB-IoT coverage now reaches 98% of the UK geography.

What is NB-IoT?

NB-IoT is a low power, wide area network (LPWAN) technology, designed to enable efficient communication across wide geographical footprints, or deep within urban infrastructure. NB-IoT supports long battery life and reduced costs for devices with low data demand.

Vodafone has seen increased demand across numerous industries for a connectivity solution that can support use cases such as industrial and commercial metering, water monitoring, asset tracking, and smart city applications, including air quality monitoring. NB-IoT supports applications where the lowest possible connectivity cost is essential to the viability of the business case.

Benefits of NB-IoT

NB-IoT offers a number of benefits over utilising mobile networks for certain use cases and devices:

  • Lifetime of devices and batteries can be extended to as long as ten years
  • Cost of modems and devices is reduced, meaning reduced overall capital expenditure
  • Deployment is more scalable and lower cost
  • Coverage is extended due to lower signal requirements for data transmission
  • Maintenance requirements are lower for IoT devices in remote and inaccessible locations

Vodafone’s NB- IoT network is already being used by customers across multiple industries, including SES Water and United Utilities to detect leaks in underground pipes and other infrastructure.

The importance of an all-encompassing approach for 0EMs.
Trending
The importance of an all-encompassing approach for 0EMs.

With an NB- IoT offering to complement existing mobile coverage, Vodafone can create tailored connectivity solutions for different IoT cases, rather than relying on a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Anne Sheehan, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said: “NB-IoT is a part of our network that is often overlooked, but it is becoming increasingly important, bringing data from a growing variety of devices to power decision-making in more organisations.

“This is a network which has been designed for low-bandwidth devices, allowing for coverage that goes beyond 4G and devices where battery life could be extended to as long as ten years. In IoT, customers might want to use our 4G network for real-time, data-intensive analytics, while others might need a connectivity solution for non-time-sensitive use cases, such as environmental monitoring.

“We have invested in NB-IoT because we want to offer our customers the right tools for the right job, in a way which is affordable and accessible for every customer.”

One of the advantages of NB-IoT is coverage beyond the traditional mobile footprint, as the network is designed for devices with lower bandwidth requirements. For use cases where lower signal is sufficient (-128dBm) Vodafone’s NB-IoT network will exceed 98% geographical coverage (both indoor and outdoor). For stronger signal requirements (-118dBm) it reaches 87% geographical coverage (both indoor and outdoor) For those areas that are not covered by the NB-IoT network today, Vodafone will work with customers to upgrade and add infrastructure on a case-by-case basis.

Vodafone has invested in IoT because of its potential to transform UK business through data-based insights.  It can be, used to improve existing operations and launch new products and services. The NB-IoT network, alongside Vodafone’s mobile network, provide connectivity for devices and assets, while Vodafone’s IoT.nxt platform allows Vodafone to work with customers at every stage of the journey.

The IoT.nxt solution will offer customers every part of an IoT solution, with a single data management platform, and the capability to integrate old and new devices in one system. The IoT platform is hosted in Vodafone’s secure environment and can be refined for each use case or customer, making IoT more accessible to more companies.

READ MORE:

Like Vodafone’s investments in Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC), 5G Standalone and partner ecosystems, investments in IoT enable Vodafone to bring customers new connectivity solutions.

For more news from Top Business Tech, don’t forget to subscribe to our daily bulletin!

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

We think you'll like:

Amber Donovan-Stevens

Amber is a Content Editor at Top Business Tech

Choose an AI solution to transform beyond technology

Kit Cox • 09th December 2024

The first step is knowing exactly what your business wants to achieve with AI; think faster, smarter and more efficient. Once you know what you are working towards, you can start looking for a solution that can help you make it a reality. AI integration can feel like a daunting task at the beginning, so...

A Roadmap to Security and Privacy Compliance

John Lynch Director of Kiteworks • 04th December 2024

Only by understanding the current regulatory environment and implementing robust data protection measures, can organisations enhance their security posture, ensure compliance, and build resilience against the latest cyber threats. This article provides a comprehensive roadmap of how to do it.

Data-Sharing Done Right: Finding the Best Business Approach

Bart Koek • 20th November 2024

To ensure data is not only available, but also accessible to those that need it, businesses recognise that it is vital to focus on collecting, sorting and governing all the data in their organisation. But what happens when data also needs to be accessed and shared across the business? That is where organisations discover a...

Nova: The Ultimate AI-Powered Martech Solution for Boosting Sales, Marketing...

Erin Lanahan • 19th November 2024

Discover how Nova, the AI-powered engine behind Launched, revolutionises Martech by automating sales and marketing tasks, enhancing personalisation, and delivering unmatched ROI. With advanced intent data integration, revenue attribution, and real-time insights, Nova empowers businesses to scale, streamline operations, and outperform competitors like 6Sense and 11x.ai. Experience the future of Martech with Nova’s transformative AI...

How E-commerce Marketers Can Win Black Friday

Sue Azari • 11th November 2024

As new global eCommerce players expand their influence across both European and US markets, traditional brands are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. These fast-growing Asian platforms have gained traction by offering ultra-low prices, rapid product turnarounds, heavy investment in paid user acquisition, and leveraging viral social media trends to create demand almost in real-time. This...

Why microgrids are big news

Craig Tropea • 31st October 2024

As the world continues its march towards a greener future, businesses, communities, and individuals alike are all increasingly turning towards renewable energy sources to power their operations. What is most interesting, though, is how many of them are taking the pro-active position of researching, selecting, and implementing their preferred solutions without the assistance of traditional...

Is automation the silver bullet for customer retention?

Carter Busse • 22nd October 2024

CX innovation has accelerated rapidly since 2020, as business and consumer expectations evolved dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, finding the best way to engage and respond to customers has become a top business priority and a key business challenge. Not only do customers expect the highest standard, but companies are prioritising superb CX to...