The deployment on Etisalat’s mobile and internet brand Mobily was done in the 800 MHz frequency band. The NB-IoT cell radius coverage averages 20km per cell – substantially higher than typical LTE cells.
As part of the project, Mobily and Nokia have upgraded more than 4,000 LTE base stations to enable NB-IoT cells.
Nokia said its “avant-garde” NB-IoT connectivity will help businesses on Mobily's network in fields including energy, transport and health "deliver improved customer experience through enhanced connectivity".
The NB-IoT platform enables wider coverage indoors and outdoors, ideal for rural and deep indoor locations because it allows the signal to reach further inside buildings to connect sensors and devices and transmit information. It also provides enhanced machine-to-machine communication as it supports more connections and lowers power consumption.
Tareq Khalaf, customer team head of Mobily at Nokia, said: “We are proud to be working with Mobily to meet the needs of modern enterprises by enabling a wide range of commercial uses such as smart metering for utilities, powering connected health and industrial appliances, and smart city infrastructure.”
Alaa Malki, CTO at Mobily, added: “The partnership reinforces a robust IoT infrastructure and network, allowing enterprises to accelerate the expansion of their IoT footprint. As our long-standing partner, we are excited to strengthen the cooperation with Nokia and empower enterprises to harness the power of IoT through excellent connectivity.”
