nrf9160

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 08:18:19 GMT

Hi Stuart,

appreciate your situation but thanks for the pointers.

Being new to this site I'm not quite sure how to reply privately to you but I'll try the connect button and see what happens !

RE: nrf9160

SCombellack — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:17:10 GMT

Hi Steve, I wish I could share more information with you but I'm bound by NDA. From the iBasis responses, perhaps they are only able to roam onto O2 at present, which might make it harder to get a signal.

The networks are being built. Now would be a good time to develop your product. Testing it is a bit more challenging, to be sure.

Maybe look into another roaming SIM provider, or try a commercial Vodafone SIM? PAYG or something, you never know.

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:52:31 GMT

Hello Stuart and Bjorn,

seems like the UK is not overly interested in allowing access to nb-IoT or LTE-m services except in particular locations and for the "chosen few".

Contacted Vodafone via their web-page last week, which promised a response in 1 day --- no luck.

Contacted Vodafone via a separate method as suggested by the Nordic RSM --- no luck

Contacted 02 Telefonica via their online IoT contact page --- nothing

Rang 02 Telefonica and no one new what I was talking about, but someone would ensure I was contacted by the appropriate person --- see above.

ibasis response below shows they don't know if 02 are providing a service in my region.

So, having purchased the dk it seems I can do everything except make a connection !

Contacted a colleague in China --- he is up and running with nb-IoT and cannot understand the issue. He gets SIMs the next day !

Sorry if I appear exasperated, but by the time the UK gets it's act together, the rest of the world will have probably moved on to 6G.

RE: nrf9160

iBasis Tech Support — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 19:37:36 GMT

Hi Steve,

We have checked connectivity from your card and we were not seeing any attempts from this esim. Our cards are connecting in Cambridge, St.Ives and Reigate. I am not sure if O2 is supporting LTE-M in your area.

Regards,

iBasis Tech Support

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 16:47:44 GMT

Hi Stuart,

I’m based in the Cardiff area.

I will certainly pass on whatever I find of use.

Regards

Steve

RE: nrf9160

SCombellack — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 15:38:17 GMT

Hi,

Where are you located, Steve?

Information is sketchy on which GSM sites have the upgrade and which don't in the UK. My understanding is that both CAT-M and NB-IoT only have very sporadic coverage at present, and limited to what are basically test sites.

Best of luck, Steve, if you find any decent info then post it on here! (or PM me!)

Thanks,

Stuart

RE: nrf9160

bjorn-spockeli — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 10:39:06 GMT

Will send the contact info as a private message.

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 08:49:44 GMT

Hi Bjorn

No, I don't have her details.

Could you let me have them please ?

Hopefully she might help me get a response from Vodafone and ibasis.

Thanks

RE: nrf9160

bjorn-spockeli — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 21:30:18 GMT

Hi Steve,

as far as I know the western part of the UK should have decent NB-IoT coverage from Vodafone. I suggest contacting our RSM in the UK. She should be up to date on this. Do you have her contact info?

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 10:43:50 GMT

Hi ibasis,

the eSIM number as printed on the card is 893108931810427588 K070

Hopefully this will help define the issue.

Regards

Steve

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 19:41:35 GMT

Thanks Bjorn and ibasis.

I am attempting to make contact with Vodafone and awaiting a response.

I checked out the suggested page (http://iot.ibasis.com/network-coverage/) and it says “United Kingdom - Yes” but didn’t specify the coverage area.

So I followed the secondary link (https://www.gsma.com/iot/deployment-map/#deployments) and that shows no deployment. This seems contradictory.

Could you shed some light on this ?

I am based in the Cardiff (UK) region and I will follow up with the other requested info (IMSI or ICCID) over the next day or so as I am away presently.

Any info gratefully received.

Steve

RE: nrf9160

iBasis Tech Support — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 18:19:55 GMT

Hi Steve,

We apologize for the inconvenience. We are seeing connectivity over Telefonica UK. Is that network available in your area? We also have a link that shows where we have LTE-M connectivity available: http://iot.ibasis.com/network-coverage/ If you could please share with me your IMSI or ICCID to troubleshoot further?

Kind Regards,

iBasis Tech Support

RE: nrf9160

bjorn-spockeli — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 12:31:41 GMT

HI Steve,

as SCombellack has stated, the NB-IoT and LTE-M networks in the UK are in the process of being rolled out. Please contact Vodaphone or our RSM in the UK for more information on rollout schedules and coverage maps.

Best regards
Bjørn

RE: nrf9160

Steveg — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 07:54:16 GMT

Thanks for the quick reply....... that’s helpful and appreciated.

yes you are right about how it was advertised and my frustration is as much with myself as anything, by assuming that ibasis had some connectivity arranged in the UK.

Perhaps an informing asterisk or a link to current coverage as part of the extensive Nordic marketing campaign would be appropriate.......just a thought to prevent such issues.

RE: nrf9160

SCombellack — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 00:18:51 GMT

Hi Steveg, I'm also in the UK.

There are some activated base stations around the UK in various areas and the networks are planning to roll out networks soon; 2019 or 2020 depending on the network. I'm told the UK is a difficult one because of our infrastructure. You're better off contacting Vodafone, O2 and EE to ask them about their rollout plans.

However now may be a good time to develop your application so you're ready for the time when the networks go live. You can test your board by driving to Newbury, Cambridge and a few other places spotted about the place.

As it happens, the iBasis SIM is working for me with CAT-M where I live. So it's not iBasis' fault if the device is failing to work.

AFAIK the nRF91 was always advertised as an NB-IoT / CAT-M device.