KT, Nokia demonstrate NB-IoT tech on LTE network
Korean telco KT and Finnish equipment maker Nokia have demonstrated NB-IoT technology successfully on a 4G, LTE network, the companies have announced.
NB-IoT, as the name suggests, uses 200kHz band, narrower than the conventional ones used for 3G and LTE networks, for the transfer of small data between low energy-consuming objects.
It allows for services of Internet of "Small Things", such as smart lamps and reading meters that are not data-intensive.
KT started testing the technology in June after it was standardised by 3GPP, the international standard setter for GSM, WCDMA, GPRS, and LTE.
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The telco and Nokia reviewed the technology and used Nokia-made radio stations and core network equipment for NB-IoT to test it. They used narrow bands and power boosting technology to maximize coverage.
KT said the narrow-band will allow IoT services in places such as underground parking lots and mountainous regions that long-band have difficulty covering.
The telco said it plans to commercialise NB-IoT nationwide within this year.
Rival SK Telecom has commercialised nationwide IoT networks this year that offer cheaper data plans compared to phones. KT has also commercialised theirs.
In June, KT chairman Hwang Chang-gyu, speaking at the United Nations Compact, said telcos worldwide should share data for contagion prevention.
The telco is planning to demonstrate its 5G technology at the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in 2018.