Vodafone Czech Republic and Veolia Energie Czech Republic have introduced the first commercial NB-IoT project in the country. One thousand smart meters for heat supply will be connected to the NB-IoT (Narrow Band - Internet of Things) network, initially in Prague and Ostrava.
Veolia selected Vodafone for its good indoor coverage and coverage of premises under ground, where the heat supplier installs its devices most often.
Utility projects (smart meters, duct monitoring and others) make up the biggest part of IoT applications globally. According to the study Vodafone IoT Barometer 2017/2018, IoT is used by 35 percent of utility companies participating in the survey, whereas in 2013, it was only 13 percent. The scope of the projects is also considerable; 53 percent of respondents - utility providers (37 percent across all industries) - apply IoT for 1,000 devices.
Vodafone Czech Republic offers its NB-IoT network for testing of devices, such as sensors. The starter package costing EUR 100 includes 20 IoT SIM cards, six-month connectivity in the NB-IoT testing platform with licensed radio spectrum, technology support and access to Vodafone IoT portal.
