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AT&T says its "advanced LTE-M network will bring the Internet of Things to more devices and markets than ever before".
AT&T has switched on "North America's first LTE-M enabled commercial site", starting a process that the company says "will transform the Internet of Things (IoT) for years to come".
The company proudly boasts of having "enabled LTE-M technology on its first site in the San Francisco market to support the pilot of AT&T's LTE-M Low-Power Wide-Area network at the AT&T Labs in San Ramon".
AT&T explains that it plans to make the technology widely available across its commercial network throughout 2017.
The benefit of LTE-M?
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The ability to "offer a unique combination of enhanced coverage and longer battery life with carrier-grade security for a new generation of industries and applications".
We’re also told that it will "connect a wide variety of IoT solutions challenged by existing network technology. These include smart utility meters, asset monitoring, vending machines, alarm systems, fleet, heavy equipment, mHealth and wearables".
Key features and benefits expected from LTE-M are:
Lower costs for modules that connect IoT devices to the LTE network.
Longer battery life; up to 10 years for certain enabled IoT devices.
Better coverage for IoT devices underground and deep inside buildings.
Chris Penrose, president, Internet of Things Solutions at AT&T, said: “We've joined with Altair, Ericsson and technology leaders from across the ecosystem to launch the first LTE-M enabled commercial site in North America.
"Innovations like LTE-M will bring IoT to more end points than ever before. It's part of our strategy to offer the widest range of IoT network options to our customers."
AT&T also notes that its "enterprise customers" and other technology leaders are "collaborating on the LTE-M pilot".
Participants in the pilot will include:
- Badger Meter – will analyse how the LTE-M network, which is dedicated to supporting the IoT, may be used to enhance communications for smart water devices.
- CalAmp – will explore how the LTE-M network can help companies more efficiently manage their connected vehicles and assets.
- Capstone Metering – will demonstrate how LTE-M can improve Smart Cities sensor technologies. It will look to increase battery life and improve connectivity and sensor monitoring for underground smart water meters.
- PepsiCo – will examine and test ways that sensors can improve the in-store experience with smart vending solutions for the thousands of PepsiCo products consumers love and enjoy.
- Samsung – will evaluate an LTE-M-based solution to enhance performance for consumer solutions. This may include wearables or other consumer devices.
The pilot is also said to include solutions from a robust contingent of technology providers: Altair, Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Sierra Wireless, Telit, u-blox, Wistron NeWeb Corp. (WNC), and Xirgo Technologies. The technology is expected to be available to customers outside of the pilot starting in 2017.
AT&T says you can learn more in its whitepaper (PDF) entitled: "What you need to know about IoT wide area networks."
The company says this is the third in a series of white papers "designed to help businesses and developers navigate the key questions and challenges in implementing IoT solutions". More information on AT&T IoT services and support is here.