MWCA 2017: U.S. Carriers Announce Bold IoT Innovations & Network Rollouts

Carriers lead the IoT charge at Mobile World Congress Americas

Despite a modest turnout at its inaugural edition, the Mobile World Congress Americas (MWCA)—a joint effort between the former CTIA expo and the GSMA—became a showcase for the U.S. carriers’ latest strategies to expand IoT connectivity and drive market adoption. Over three days at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, each carrier presented network deployments, enterprise use cases, and ecosystem partnerships that underline their commitment to the next generation of connected services.

Key Takeaways

T‑Mobile to roll out nationwide NB‑IoT by 2018

T‑Mobile US, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, announced plans to launch a nationwide narrowband‑IoT (NB‑IoT) network by mid‑2018. The 3GPP’s Release 13 finalised the NB‑IoT standard for low‑power wide‑area networking, offering exceptionally low power consumption, deep indoor and underground coverage, cost‑effective components, and the security and reliability that LTE provides. The carrier highlighted core use cases such as smart metering, building automation, precision agriculture, and asset tracking/fleet management.

To illustrate the practical impact of NB‑IoT, T‑Mobile unveiled “SyncUP FLEET,” a branded fleet‑management solution that streams real‑time data on location, fuel usage, vehicle health, and driver behaviour to a cloud platform. By analysing these metrics holistically, businesses can optimise routing, reduce downtime, and maximise asset utilisation.

CTO Neville Ray positioned NB‑IoT as a foundational element of 5G, alongside enhanced mobile broadband and mission‑critical communications. “The current duopoly is already congested—Verizon’s recent changes to its unlimited plans illustrate this. As we approach 5G, carriers lacking sufficient low‑band spectrum will struggle to support both smartphones and the burgeoning IoT ecosystem,” he said, underscoring T‑Mobile’s confidence in its network strategy.

Sprint & Ericsson to deploy massive MIMO for IoT and broadband

In partnership with Ericsson, Sprint demonstrated how its 2.5 GHz spectrum, combined with 64‑antenna massive MIMO, can boost network capacity tenfold. Trials conducted in Seattle and Plano ahead of a 2018 commercial rollout showed a 100 % success rate during simultaneous file downloads to 100 Samsung Galaxy S7 devices.

CTO John Saw noted that massive MIMO will “maximize our deep 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings and is key to meeting customers’ growing demand for unlimited data, gigabit LTE and 5G.” Sprint’s COO Guenther Ottendorfer highlighted the IoT focus, echoing Enterprise IoT Insights’ view that “the promise of 5G is fundamentally about the Internet of Things.”

Prior to MWCA, Sprint created the role of Senior Vice President of IoT and appointed Ivo Rook, a former Vodafone IoT executive, to lead the effort. “Sprint is laser‑focused on this space, which will drive significant growth,” Rook said. “My priority will be developing secure IoT solutions for business customers and empowering users to thrive in the digital era.”

AT&T introduces Asset Management – Operations Center for IoT

AT&T launched “AT&T Asset Management – Operations Center,” a Microsoft Azure‑based platform that enables enterprises to rapidly deploy asset‑tracking and monitoring tools. The solution supports a wide range of IoT devices, protocols, and cloud environments, offering a customizable dashboard and API integration for seamless data flow.

Targeted use cases span geographically dispersed manufacturing sites, global supply chains, and multimodal logistics. Leveraging its Global SIM portfolio, AT&T can deliver connectivity via LTE, LTE‑M, and, in the future, Wi‑Fi and satellite links.

IoT Solutions President Chris Penrose emphasized that the platform “helps customers meet current and future IoT needs while securely managing assets wherever they’re deployed.” Microsoft Corporate VP Michael Anguilo added that the partnership “gives joint customers greater control over deployed IoT assets and accelerates innovation that improves day‑to‑day operations.”

In a consumer‑oriented move, AT&T partnered with Qualcomm and bike‑sharing firm Mobike to connect Qualcomm’s global multimode LTE‑IoT modem to the AT&T network.

Verizon reports high enterprise adoption of IoT in State of the Market

Verizon’s State of the Market report—commissioned for MWCA—reveals that 73 % of enterprise executives are either researching or actively deploying IoT solutions. The report underscores that 2016 marked a turning point for enterprise IoT, with 2017 showing no signs of retreat.

Key concerns among executives include the lack of industry‑wide standards, security, interoperability, and cost—over 50 % of respondents cited these as top challenges. However, as standards mature and security frameworks evolve, Verizon believes the enterprise IoT market is ready for scale.

Year‑over‑year growth in IoT connections highlights manufacturing as the largest driver, up 84 %. Energy & utilities, transportation & distribution grew 41 % and 40 % respectively, while smart city adoption rose 19 % and healthcare/pharma increased 11 %.

VP of IoT Connected Solutions Mark Bartolomeo said, “In 2017, advancements in technology, standards, and cost reductions made IoT enterprise‑grade, and we’re just beginning to see its economic impact.”