IoT Communications capabilities are expanding internationally. In some cases even faster and more aggressively than the US. The following is an excellent debrief on what’s happening globally.
China Telecom claims that it has established the world’s largest NB-IoT network, having expanded its coverage to national scope after the initial launch of twelve outdoor city test networks in the first quarter of this year. As reported by China Daily, China Telecom reckons that NB-IoT demand in China now accounts for more than 60% of the whole IoT sector. Having announced a ‘world-first’ commercial NB-IoT-based smart water project in March, the carrier has also partnered Shenzhen Gas for NB-IoT applications in the gas sector, and is working on developing a wide range of commercial applications in various fields from smart parking to intelligent manufacturing. One of the latest projects to be announced is a collaboration between China Telecom, Huawei Technologies and bicycle-sharing start-up ofo to develop smart bicycle locks.