Huawei, Vodafone duo to bring NB-IoT Smart Parking in Spain

Global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider Huawei Technologies and Vodafone Spain have announced the successful completion of the first trial on commercial networks for pre-standard NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) Smart Parking in Spain. The trial took place in Vodafone Plaza in Madrid in collaboration with Fangle and Ublox, a Swiss-based wireless semiconductor manufacturer. Last month, Huawei and Vodafone launched a strategic NB-IoT Open Lab in the UK to promote the development of the NB-IoT ecosystem and innovative solutions for the market. The NB-IoT technology comes with a sensor battery duration up to more than 10 years, massive connections, and a price reduction of its processors. In addition, it offers a wider coverage, reaching places that could not be reached until now via the mobile network, such as underground zones.

“We’ve been rigorously testing NB-IoT and we’re thrilled with the results. During trial deployments in Spain and Turkey, the technology has demonstrated some outstanding attributes, which make it ideal for connecting a large number of objects to networks for the first time. We look forward to working with the industry to help developers and engineers bring a new wave of useful applications and services to market based on NB-IoT technology,” says Luke Ibbetson, Director of Research & Development, Vodafone Group.

Huawei and Vodafone Spain introduced Madrid Tech City last week, which is a joint project to position Madrid as one of the most advanced cities around the world, from the technological point of view. The companies plan to extrapolate their efforts with smart parking that will allow users to access parking data remotely, from mobile application, including checking parking spot availability, navigating to the available spots, etc. Furthermore, the solution will create new revenue streams for municipal management, lower public parking running costs, as well as helping to alleviate traffic congestion.

David Wang, President of Wireless Product Line at Huawei says, “With the NB-IoT Open Lab in the UK established, Huawei is committed to working closely with Vodafone to expand the NB-IoT ecosystem and develop more innovative solutions, such as Smart Metering and now Smart Parking, to fully support the industry and partners to embrace the opportunities NB-IoT will bring.”

Laying the path ahead, Huawei and Vodafone plan to turn the trial into a live demonstration set inside the Business Exhibition Centre at Vodafone Plaza in Madrid for showcasing the solution to Vodafone’s customers and visitors. Huawei and Vodafone aim to achieve the standardization in June as well as the pre-commercial phase by the end of the year. The duo is in-line to hold another smart parking live trial in collaboration with Isbak (Istanbul Transportation Telecommunication and Security Technologies Industry And Trade Inc.) in Turkey in early June. NB-IoT Smart Parking is expected to be commercially launched by early 2017.