How NB‑IoT Transformed Road Parking: A Real‑World Case Study

Case Overview

Shenzhen Fangger Technology Co., Ltd., a provider of road parking solutions founded in 2010, implemented the world’s first commercial magnetic vehicle detector for road parking in Kunming, Yunnan in December 2011, pioneering the use of magnetic detection technology in this field.

Business Background

Traditional magnetic vehicle detectors relied on relay gateways placed within a ~50 m radius to forward parking space data to a management backend. These gateways, powered by solar panels and lead‑acid batteries, were typically mounted on street lamps or utility poles, creating challenges with insufficient sunlight, maintenance, and regulatory restrictions on mounting locations.

The relay‑gateway approach also suffered from interference in the unlicensed ISM band, leading to frequent detector disconnections.

Solution

In 2015, Fangger adopted Huawei NB‑IoT technology, enabling direct communication between magnetic detectors and the network without intermediate gateways. From March 2015, Fangger partnered with Huawei to become the world’s first manufacturer of NB‑IoT‑enabled magnetic vehicle detectors.

The NB‑IoT network topology eliminates the relay gateway layer, as shown in the diagram below.

Customer Benefits

After the NB‑IoT upgrade, the need for a relay gateway was reduced to one per 10‑20 parking spaces, cutting installation costs and eliminating maintenance related to solar power and battery replacement, as well as removing lead‑acid battery environmental risks.

These advantages have spurred broader adoption, including a pilot at Shanghai Disney’s parking lot in June 2016 and collaborations with Deutsche Telekom, Bell Canada, and Etisalat.

Capability Invocation

The magnetic sensor detects vehicle entry and exit; using the NB‑IoT protocol, it integrates an NB‑IoT module to connect to Huawei’s core network and uploads data to the IoT platform via the CoAP protocol.

Partner Introduction

Shenzhen Fangger Technology specializes in intelligent transportation devices, management systems, and industry application software, holding numerous patents and delivering world‑leading smart parking management solutions.