2017 was a milestone year for 4G and NB-IoT, says Vodafone network chief

12 Jan 2018

Vodafone Ireland head of networks, Max Gasparroni. Image: Vodafone

Network investment is a priority for the future, says Vodafone Ireland head of networks.

Mobile operator Vodafone hit key milestones in terms of 4G and narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) in 2017, said Max Gasparroni, the head of networks in Ireland.

In July, the mobile operator confirmed that it will be launching a new voice over LTE (VoLTE) – or voice over 4G – service as well as a voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) service in early 2018.

This was followed by the news in August that Vodafone became the first mobile network operator to commercially launch a nationwide narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) network in Ireland to connect a myriad of smart machines.

All of this adds up to a breakthrough year for the operator, said Gasparroni.

Best in test

“We continuously invest in our network in Ireland to provide our customers with an unrivalled network experience to cater for their ever-evolving customer needs, both in terms of high-quality voice and mobile data services,” Gasparroni said.

Gasparroni was commenting on new benchmark results from P3 Communications, which ranked the operator ‘Best in Test’ for the third year in a row.

P3 benchmarked the performance of mobile operators in Ireland from 31 October to 16 November 2017, and found that Vodafone was best in test for making and receiving mobile calls. It was also found to be the best network for mobile data services such as video streaming, web-browsing and file transfers, scoring 823 out of a possible 1,000 points.

“These findings are testament that the network enhancement programme delivers tangible results for our customers,” Gasparroni said.

“While 2017 has been a milestone year for Vodafone in terms of the roll-out of new technologies such as our NB-IoT network, 4G Evo enhanced data speeds and the introduction of VoLTE, we will continue to invest in our network to ensure unrivalled and world-class connectivity for our customers in the future.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com