ZTE launched a smart parking system powered by NB-IoT that it says reduces congestion and boosts parking revenues.
The parking system combines an IoT data unit and operations platform with a mobile app to link drivers with available parking spaces in a city.
A unit is installed in the parking space that uses magnetic fields to ascertain whether a parking space is occupied.
The user can search in real time for vacant spaces, both on curbs and in open air lots, and reserve them through the app. The app is then able to guide the user to the parking space.
Payment is offered through the app, through the on-board unit or manually.
The system is designed to be compact and easy to install, and can be remotely maintained and upgraded through wireless connectivity. Underpinning it is data mining technology that allows the centralised and unified management of parking.
The system is in commercial trials in Shenzhen and Nanjing in China, ZTE said, with roll-outs to further cities expected. The vendor claimed that parking congestion rates had been reduced by 12 percent and time spent searching for parking spots reduced 43 percent, while parking management revenue had gone up 30 percent.
The use of NB-IoT, a cellular IoT connectivity protocol, reduces power consumption while providing wide coverage, it added.
In December, Telia Norway unveiled “smart” farming and parking trials that use NB-IoT technology. Deployed in collaboration with 7Sense, the sensors register a sprinkler’s position using GPS and send alerts in the event of falling water pressure.
Deutsche Telekom in October became the first operator to launch an NB-IoT network. It was launched in Germany and the Netherlands, initially for application developers to trial their solutions on commercial networks.