Technology

National rollout of Bouygues Telecom’s LTE-M and NB-IoT, and the scheduled shutdown of 2G and 3G technologies

20 June 2024
The global telecommunications market is undergoing a transformation with the advent of 4G and 5G, the proliferation of IoT applications, and the needs associated with the digital transformation of businesses. How does Objenious by Bouygues Telecom position itself and what are the new developments?

National LTE-M and NB-IoT coverage by Bouygues Telecom

Bouygues Telecom has deployed LTE-M and NB-IoT technologies, and since the end of 2022, offers coverage of over 99% of the national population.

LTE-M and NB-IoT are known as Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networks, combining strong energy efficiency and coverage performance both outside and indoors. They are primarily used for IoT devices that require the transfer of low volumes of data intermittently over long distances. These networks are growing in popularity and have been expanding internationally, with more than 170 NB-IoT and LTE-M networks worldwide (source: GSMA)

NB-IoT is designed for sending short messages. Its low power consumption enhances battery longevity and autonomy, thus reducing maintenance costs. NB-IoT caters to new use cases spurred by the increasing adoption of IoT.

LTE-M offers the highest data rate and the lowest latency among LPWA technologies. Ideal for current 2G use cases, LTE-M enables the connection and tracking of mobile equipment at low cost and over a long duration, even in hard-to-reach areas.

Therefore, Objenious by Bouygues Telecom offers a complete suite of IoT solutions with LTE-M, NB-IoT, 4G, and 5G technologies, tailored to meet the needs of its clients and prospects.

 

New digital offers dedicated to LTE-M, 4G, and NB-IoT technologies

By the end of 2022, Objenious by Bouygues Telecom launched the first digital offers in France dedicated to NB-IoT, LTE-M, and 4G technologies. These offerings are supported by the global emergence of these technologies, the phased shutdown of 2G and 3G technologies in Europe, and our national network.

The Start LTE-M IoT 4G offer allows testing use cases currently on 2G or 3G for one year with 1 GB on LTE-M or 4G networks. LTE-M is a true Swiss army knife for IoT, capable of catering to diverse use cases ranging from smart lighting and connected transport to logistics, energy management, electric vehicle charging stations, and e-health.

The Explore NB-IoT offer has no data consumption limit, enabling users to explore NB-IoT technology and features for one year. An ideal bidirectional network for sending short messages, NB-IoT can easily support smart metering and address demands of smart cities and smart buildings, facilitating, among other things, efficient energy management and tracking. Whether it’s for geographical location of equipment, detection of movement and impacts in the industry, or alerts for environmental data (CO2, humidity, temperature), there are multiple use cases for NB-IoT.

 

Shutdown of 2G and 3G technologies by Bouygues Telecom

The discontinuation of 2G and 3G is not unique to France. These technologies’ shutdown is already underway in various European countries and around the world. Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, and the United States have already commenced the closure of their 2G or 3G networks.

Bouygues Telecom joins this general movement of international and French operators, planning to shut down its 2G network by the end of 2026, over 30 years after its launch, and its 3G network three years later, by the end of 2029.

Companies using connected devices that operate solely on 2G and/or 3G will need to migrate their fleets to the appropriate IoT technology or technologies: 4G, 5G, LTE-M, or NB-IoT.

Objenious, a Bouygues Telecom brand dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), leverages its multi-technology portfolio including 4G, 5G, LTE-M, and NB-IoT to support the digital transformation of businesses and public authorities. As a pioneer and expert, Objenious will advise its clients and prospects on their IoT solution evolution strategies.

 

How to obtain a 4G, LTE-M, or NB-IoT SIM?

There are multiple ways to obtain a 4G, LTE-M, or NB-IoT SIM card. For fleets of fewer than 1,000 lines, digital offers are available online on the Objenious website. The process is fully digital and enables delivery of your SIM cards within three business days.

For fleets larger than 1,000 lines or to obtain a 5G SIM card: contact@objenious.com or Contact – Objenious.