Following its “rapid roll-out” of 5G, which is already covering 70% of Doha, Vodafone Qatar is now extending Internet of Things (IoT) “leadership position” in the country, by launching the first Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) network nationwide.
NB-IoT is a Low Power Wide Area network technology (LPWA) designed to enable a wide range of IoT devices and services.
It is characterised by superior indoor coverage and deep underground penetration to support a massive number of connections with cost efficiency, and low device power consumption allowing a battery life of up to 10 years.
Overall, NB-IoT will act as the catalyst for companies to consider connecting things that would not have been viable with existing technologies.
As the ‘Official’ sponsor of Qitcom 2019, which runs from October 29 to November 1 at the Qatar National Convention Centre, Vodafone Qatar will showcase the first available range of Smart City NB-IoT solutions that are commercially viable over Vodafone’s NB-IoT network, such as ‘smart waste management’, ‘smart parking’, and ‘smart lighting’. NB-IoT solutions targeted for ‘smart city’ applications enables city owners to optimise their resources, increase their efficiency, and manage their operations.
NB-IoT is not only evident in smart city applications, NB-IoT can transform almost every vertical, such as:
• Utilities- improve efficiency and decrease waste by using gas and water metering, including smart meter consumption tracking and pipeline monitoring.
• Smart buildings- enhance building safety and incident response times through connected smoke detectors including battery check and real-time alerts in case of fire.
• Healthcare - advancements in the healthcare sector with patient health monitoring, emergency equipment monitoring, and patient transfer tracking.
• Agriculture - enhanced efficiency in the agricultural industry with animal welfare monitoring, crop monitoring, soil monitoring and animal tracking. Vodafone Qatar CEO Sheikh Hamad Abdulla al-Thani said: “The need for prolonged battery life and deep in-building penetration has been answered by NB-IoT.
"Our NB-IoT network will allow millions of everyday objects to be connected to the Internet of Things, creating an exciting digital future that improves the way we live and work.
“Vodafone Qatar is committed to using its leading expertise and experience in IoT to accelerate the nation’s advancement as one of the most connected and technologically advanced countries in the world — in support of Qatar National Vision 2030.”
IoT is already transforming industries and businesses all over the world.
Vodafone’s IoT Barometer 2019 reports that adoption of the technology is increasing, with more than a third (34%) of businesses surveyed now using IoT.
Adoption is also seen as providing a competitive advantage, as 74% of adopters believe that within five years, companies that aren’t using IoT will have fallen behind.
For those who have adopted and integrated IoT projects in their core systems, the results have been overwhelmingly positive.
Spanning from cost reductions to improved safety, increased responsiveness and even the creation of entirely new revenue streams, it is undeniable IoT is making businesses smarter and more efficient.
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