Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) reports a least one such network in 52 countries worldwide.
Further, 20 operators in 19 countries had deployed or launched both NB-IoT and LTE-M.
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M are low power wide area network (LPWAN) radio technology standards developed by the 3GPP to enable a wide range of cellular devices and services, in particular IoT and machine-to-machine applications.
As of the end of March 2019, GSA had identified:
•149 operators in 69 countries are investing in one or both of the NB-IoT and LTE-M network technologies
• 22 countries NB-IoT and LTE-M networks deployed or launched
• 28 countries are home to deployed or launched NB-IoT networks only
• two countries are home to deployed or launched LTE-M networks
• 140 operators in 69 countries investing in NB-IoT networks; of which 88 operators in 50 countries had deployed or launched their networks
• 60 operators in 35 countries are investing in LTE-M networks; of which 34 operators in 24 countries had deployed or launched their network.
Global momentum
The latest global market status on the wider IoT ecosystem, including NB-IoT and LTE-M, is available for download for free.
“The global momentum behind LPWAN deployments is testament to the revenue opportunities which operators are racing to win and monetise in a diverse range of new IoT applications.
“Significantly, it can also be seen as a precursor to operators replacing legacy M2M services such as GPRS-based trackers and preparing the ground for the eventual switch-off of their 2G networks,” commented Joe Barrett, President, GSA.