Both MTN and Vodacom have announced plans to use new narrowband Internet of things (NB-IOT) technology.
MTN says it and Huawei have jointly launched a smart water metering solution which uses NB-IOT technology and is designed to help MTN develop its NB-IOT services to explore new markets.
Vodacom meanwhile says it has commenced a NB-IOT network build, which it plans to commercially launch in major metropolitan areas across South Africa in 2017. The telco says it has already begun the process of upgrading the various components of its network to support NB-IOT.
"NB-IOT is a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) network technology which enables new use cases for IOT solutions. LPWA networks are able to communicate to devices where radio penetration has traditionally not been feasible and with a low power overhead in the communications process," explains Vodacom.
MTN says the new technology that will extend the utilisation of IOT by making it more efficient to connect objects requiring a long battery life and which are located in hard to reach areas to the Internet by ways of mobile connectivity.
"NB-IOT networks run on existing licensed spectrum, ensuring integrity of the communications channel as well as the delivery of data from the device to the end point," adds Vodacom.
Smart water
MTN says ithat through sensors installed in water meters, customers can identify water pipeline leakage earlier. Household water meters will automatically report data on a regular basis, reducing fault probabilities and the operating expense. The sensor array is also designed to serve as a diagnostic spine that underpins network management. The data gathered can be used to control waste water flows from each property, identify faults across the network and improve health and safety outcomes.
"NB-IOT is viewed by the industry as the answer for enterprise applications in a range of different areas, from utility meters to sensor monitoring to asset-tracking. In line with our strategy to explore new enterprise markets, MTN is glad to lead the application of this new technology in Africa," says Babak Fouladi, MTN's group chief technology and information officer.
The smart metering service will be commercially deployed in 2017 and Fouladi says MTN is looking forward to more applications using NB-IOT including wildlife tracking, smart farming and smart parking.
"The number of cellular IOT connections in Africa will grow seven-fold over the next three to four years, and NB-IOT will be a key driver for this trend," according to Jacky Chen, MD of Huawei MTN key account group.
Limitless possibilities
Vodacom Business Chief Officer Vuyani Jarana says new services enabled by NB-IOT will include the next wave of connected things and "the possibilities are limitless".
"This will push the boundaries of what is possible as well as bring services to the market that will genuinely transform lives and businesses in South Africa for the better," says Jarana.
Vodacom's NB-IOT network will leverage off its existing established network infrastructure, ensuring excellent coverage and reliable connectivity. It says a large portion of the network will only require a software upgrade to support the technology, which means that deploying the technology across existing base stations will be a relatively quick roll-out driven by geographic deployment and based on demand.
"This is ultimately about taking the Internet of things to the next level as a disruptor to further economic development and social empowerment through digital connectivity. NB-IOT will deliver more effective commercial value propositions, reducing the barrier to entry for IOT solutions.
"Our view is that the combination of the NB-IOT network and 'things' becoming more affordable, will significantly transform value chains for goods and services. This will in turn support economic growth and social improvement initiatives in the local economy," adds Jarana.
He says NB-IOT also opens up new possibilities for cloud technology as increasing volumes of data are extracted from the field, requiring additional process and storage capacity.
"What NB-IOT means for economic growth in our country is incredibly exciting and we are going to see the digitisation of brand new ecosystems and value chains. Smart cities will no longer be a concept, but a reality when you combine the traditional Vodacom mobile and fixed line IOT connectivity stack, with the new NB-IOT offering. The economics for connecting millions of things in a city becomes viable with this new access technology."
In September, Vodafone Spain and Huawei announced the successful completion of the first over-the-air connection on a live network using NB-IOT.
Both Vodacom and MTN will showcase NB-IOT and its application capabilities at the AfricaCom 2016 conference in Cape Town next week.
Share