The Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is starting to build up hype, and according to a recent announcement, we’ve now got a test case in the field in Finland, thanks to Nokia.
Nokia has conducted a trial using NB-IoT technology on the commercial 4G network belonging to Finnish operator Sonera with the goal of accelerating the IoT ecosystem and providing greater IoT device support.
The existing 4G LTE networks are optimized for Internet connectivity and video streaming to smartphones, tablets and other portable devices, but are not really suited to usual IoT needs. Unlike what’s needed for mobile traffic, IoT networks need to support billions of remote machines requiring instant connectivity to record and share data for industries such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, agriculture and transportation. NB-IoT technology is designed to meet these demands by providing the capacity, network reliability and security needed, while keeping power needs low.
“In Finland, we have a long tradition of developing and applying new technologies,” said Jari Collin, CTO, Sonera. “The trial shows how the use of today's mobile technology will fuel the continued growth of the IoT ecosystem to transform every aspect of our customers' business and personal lives.”
For this trial, Nokia implemented NB-IoT technology to communicate information on temperature, humidity and air pressure over Sonera's commercial 4G network in Helsinki. The companies also connected a roaming device over the commercial network using NB-IoT technology. This first demonstration shows how NB-IoT technology will allow companies to track their mobile assets. The network used Nokia base stations in the 800 Mhz frequency band and saw speeds of up to 200 kbps.
“Support for the programmable world, in which billions of people, devices and things are connected via high-capacity networks, is the cornerstone of Nokia's strategy,” said Adolfo Masini, head of IoT connectivity, Nokia. “Our strengths in networks, cloud, applications, analytics and security, and our 5G leadership, make Nokia the most qualified to deliver the full potential of IoT. Nokia is constantly developing innovative technologies that allow our customers to evolve their offerings. This trial will lay the foundation for an IoT ecosystem in Finland, and allow Sonera to exploit the massive opportunities that it brings.”
Edited by
Alicia Young
