AT&T Accelerates Deployment of LTE-M Network for Internet of Things

AT&T plans nationwide deployment of its LTE-M network for Internet of Things (IoT) ahead of schedule in second quarter of 2017.  The company is also planning LTE-M availability in Mexico by the end of the year.

The roll out will ultimately support a North American footprint across the AT&T 4G LTE network in the U.S. and Mexico. The 4G LTE network now covers nearly 400 million people in the U.S. and Mexico.

The plans follow the successful pilot of the AT&T LTE-M Low-Power Wide-Area network at AT&T Labs in San Ramon, California.

LTE-M will be the catalyst for large-scale IoT deployments. Devices designed to operate on the LTE-M network have advantages over traditional IoT connectivity options. You’ll see:

• Lower device costs
• Longer battery life (expected up to 10 years)
• Better coverage underground and deep inside buildings
• Module size (as small as 1/6 the size of current modules).

“Thanks to the success of our pilot, we’re on track to support LTE-M devices across our commercial network in the U.S. and Mexico ahead of schedule,” said Chris Penrose, President, Internet of Things Solutions, AT&T.

“We’re seeing real momentum for LTE-M that will let us connect more end points than ever before.  And we can do it at a lower cost with superior performance and carrier-grade security.”

AT&T Labs is working with tech leaders and providers to evaluate the performance of LTE-M network and chipset technology in a variety of situations.

• Smart water meters with Capstone Metering
• Smart pallets with RM2
• Smart beverage fountains with PepsiCo
• Consumer devices with Samsung
• Shipping container monitoring with Xirgo Technologies
• Connected vehicles and fleet & asset management with CalAmp

Home security and automation with Telular