Vodafone Qatar Launches the First Dedicated Internet of Things Network Nationwide

October 28, 2019

Following their rapid rollout of 5G – already covering 70% of Doha – Vodafone Qatar now extends their 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, 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 optimize 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

Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Al-Thani, CEO, Vodafone Qatar, said: “The need for prolonged battery life and deep in-building penetration have 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.”