Together with a number of selected corporate customers, Telia is busy testing a new high-tech mobile network to support the future Internet of Things (IoT). The test results are promising, and Telia expects to be in the air with a nationwide Narrowband IoT network before the end of 2018.
Digital development is gaining momentum. Today, the number of units connected to the Internet in millions is counted. But with the coming years of the Internet of Things - often shortened to IoT - it is expected that approx. 50 billion units will be connected to the Internet as early as 2020. And in the Nordic region alone, approx. 4 times more units per capita will be online than in the rest of the world. It requires extraordinarily much of a mobile network. The mobile networks we know today will not at all be sufficient to meet the needs of business in particular.
Therefore, Telia is rolling out a completely new nationwide network tailored to the needs of an increased focus on IoT. The new technology is called Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and can support special needs, where parameters such as wide coverage and penetration depth, very long battery life, low cost and a very large number of units are crucial, ”says Technical Director of Telia, Henrik Kofod.
Value for the individual customer
With NB-IoT, Telia can provide services that are adapted to the individual customer. This will give the customer a better overview of the production and the opportunity to act intelligently and efficiently.
“We will be able to address customer needs and pains that have not previously been technically feasible or economically sound. At the same time, Narrowband IoT is an important step towards 5G, ”says Henrik Kofod.
Telia already covers more than half of Denmark with Narrow band IoT. A number of selected corporate customers are already living in Telia NB-IoT infrastructure via so-called trials.
IoT provides better water quality
One of the companies that Telia tests with is BWT - Best Water Technology, which is Europe's leading water technology company. Here too, one sees great perspectives in the new technology.
“We are well underway and have great expectations for the future. Getting our water treatment solutions online will mean optimizing our existing business and the services we will be able to offer our customers, among other things. automatic and timely maintenance and replacement ”, says marketing manager at BWT, Karen Jensen.
Telia expects to be alive with a nationwide Narrowband IoT mobile network before the end of 2018. Also in the other Nordic countries, Telia has so much speed in its roll-out that Telia will already have a fully comprehensive Nordic Narrowband IoT network this year.