Turkcell has upgraded its LTE network to support NB-IoT as it looks to support the growth of an IoT ecosystem in Turkey.
Use of the network is now available on request, with the operator currently in discussion with unnamed customers around smart metering, agriculture and smart city projects.
The operator worked with Huawei and Ericsson to deploy the technology, which is available across its whole LTE footprint.
Gediz Sezgin, Turkcell’s Executive Vice President Network Technologies, said: “While our living spaces become more and more “connected” every day, Turkcell’s mobile infrastructure is now ready for a world where billions of devices will connect.”
Sezgin said the upgrade would open the door to “new-gen innovative applications”.
Many European operators are introducing NB-IoT in order to support customers’ IoT needs using their existing cellular infrastructure
Tele2 and Deutsche Telekom have both introduced NB-IoT on their networks. In June, the latter launched its first NB-IoT products.
UK operator BT told Mobile Europe in June that it would introduce NB-IoT over the next few months.
TIM introduced Italy’s first live NB-IoT network in April, with the initial application of measuring and improving the efficiency of the country’s water services.
Swisscom will launch both NB-IoT and alternative cellular technology LTE-M on its network next year, as it plans 5G trials and upgrades to its 4G network.