Proximus launches NB-IoT network to support digital meters

• This network is complementary to the LoRaWAN™ network launched in 2015 and existing networks

• With this, Proximus is strengthening its market leadership in IoT

Proximus is supporting Belgium's largest IoT project based on NB-IoT

Proximus, Belgium's market leader in IoT (Internet of Things), is launching its NB-IoT network for the connection of the digital meters of Eandis and Infrax (soon to be Fluvius). Commissioned by IBM and Sagemcom, Proximus will connect the 1.3 million digital meters for gas and electricity, which Eandis and Infrax intend to roll out in Flanders by the end of 2022. But other applications are of course possible as well.

NB-IoT network supplements the Proximus IoT networks

Besides its mobile networks, which are suited for large amounts of data and thus result in higher energy consumption, Proximus has its LoRaWAN™ network, ("Long Range, Low Power"), suitable for small data packets, with the advantage that it works with sensors with a very long battery life.

Now Proximus is also launching its NB-IoT network, which stands for Narrowband-Internet of Things. For the roll-out of this latest technology Proximus can make use of its extensive mobile network and thus offer wide coverage from the outset, making more applications possible. With this technology, connections are accomplished via a SIM card. It offers a greater bandwidth than LoRaWAN™, which is necessary for certain applications. Energy consumption, too, is very low, which means that batteries can last several years.

For the digital electricity meters, which pass on detailed user data to the distribution system operator, NB-IoT is just the right technology. Thanks to its greater bandwidth, it is possible to read data, as well as control and manage the sensors remotely. The customer can choose exactly which data is shared and used. The processing is aligned with the new privacy law. For other applications, which require an even longer battery life or mobility, LoRaWAN™ is ideal.

Since its launch in 2015, LoRaWAN™ has met with increasing success. Hundreds of companies are already using this technology. From now on, Proximus can examine with the customer which technology would be the most appropriate for the intended application and offer the best advice on an objective basis.

"We are delighted that Proximus, commissioned by Sagemcom and IBM, can contribute to the digital meters of Eandis and Infrax. Thanks to this new technology Proximus is further strengthening its offering of IoT networks. As a result, we are able to respond even better to our customers' needs and offer them the best solution." - Bart Van Den Meersche, Chief Enterprise Market Officer of Proximus