Several developments and first-time demonstrations have occurred recently in the NB-IoT (NarrowBand IoT) and VoLTE (Voice over LTE) arenas.
Deutsche Telekom has launched two introductory NB-IoT packages in Germany as pilot offerings aimed at expanding its IoT portfolio and supporting broader adoption of cellular IoT ahead of full 5G rollouts. The two options are NB-IoT Access, a simplified connectivity package for NB-IoT devices, and NB-IoT Access & Cloud of Things, which pairs connectivity with access to Deutsche Telekom’s device and data management platform.
Both entry packages are intended to simplify prototyping and pilot deployments of NB-IoT solutions. The NB-IoT Access package includes six months of service for up to 25 SIM cards, each with 500 KB of data over the NB-IoT network, and comes with extras such as a private APN and IPsec key encryption to secure connections. The NB-IoT Access & Cloud of Things package adds direct integration with Deutsche Telekom’s Cloud of Things platform, streamlining device management, data collection and cloud-based analytics during trials.
In New Zealand, Vodafone NZ announced plans to roll out NB-IoT across the country in early 2018. The operator will begin business-customer trials that include software deployments at multiple cell sites and use of Vodafone’s network testing facilities. The trial is backed by more than 40 mobile operators globally and aims to lay the groundwork for connecting tens of millions of IoT devices over the coming years.
On the VoLTE and LTE-M front, Verizon and China Unicom have both completed demonstrations of VoLTE calls over LTE Cat M1 (also known as LTE-M), highlighting voice support for IoT devices and related use cases. Verizon confirmed in a June 30 release that it had conducted a live over-the-air LTE Cat M1 VoLTE call on its LTE Cat M1 network. Similarly, on July 3, China Unicom, working with partners, demonstrated two Cat M1 VoLTE use cases at Mobile World Congress Shanghai: a fire alarm trigger panel and a GPS emergency tracking device.
Ericsson and Qualcomm supported both Verizon’s and China Unicom’s demonstrations. Ericsson noted that adding voice functionality to IoT devices enables new revenue-generating services for operators and enhances key use cases such as alarm systems and medical alert devices. Qualcomm emphasized that its LTE IoT modem solutions are built to meet the low-power, cost-efficient and globally deployable requirements demanded by many IoT applications, helping bring voice-capable IoT devices to market.
These pilot packages and demonstrations underscore a broader industry push to expand connectivity options for IoT, combining low-power wide-area network technologies like NB-IoT and LTE-M with cloud-based device management and, where appropriate, voice capabilities. Together, these elements aim to accelerate IoT deployments across sectors such as utilities, asset tracking, safety systems and healthcare, by making trials easier, offering secure connectivity and enabling richer device features without significantly increasing power or cost footprints.