Panasonic and Vodafone Connecting Home Devices Using Narrowband-IoT

Panasonic Corporation and Vodafone today announced they have agreed to collaborate on a pilot experiment aimed at realising IoT-based home appliances utilising Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT), a Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) technology. The two companies plan to start evaluation tests with NB-IoT-enabled home appliances are scheduled to take place in Frankfurt, Germany, starting this autumn.

As the world becomes more connected, the Internet of Things (IoT) is starting to play an increasingly important role. Some of the most promising applications for IoT need a wireless connectivity option that can deliver coverage to devices underground or are capable of operating for long periods using only battery power.

The new industry standard of wireless technologies gaining attention in many sectors as best suited for enabling long-distance and low power communication and for which Vodafone has already provided service is NB-IoT. Connected home appliances using NB-IoT technologies would allow users to connect their devices, using a cellular network, to cloud services simply via plug and play.

The joint project with Vodafone kicks off with testing Panasonic products such as air-conditioners, and exploring low bandwidth functionality for remote control and maintenance. Panasonic and Vodafone plan further testing to evaluate the successful incorporation of NB-IoT technology into a variety of Panasonic consumer appliances.

Panasonic is also going to start a pilot experiment for IoT home appliances using LPWA networks in Japan in cooperation with Japan’s leading mobile operator from this autumn.

By connecting home appliances using LPWA technology, Panasonic and Vodafone plan to create new experiences and values for customers in the IoT era.