(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Easyturn)
With the rapid growth of connected devices expected in the coming years, AT&T has chosen the LTE-M standard as the foundation for its cellular IoT network.
Individual IoT devices typically consume very little power and need only modest bandwidth, but the sheer volume of endpoints will create significant traffic-management challenges for carriers. The LTE-M technology, specifically Cat-M1, is designed to deliver roughly a 1 Mbps connection while preserving battery life for devices that need to remain operational for long periods.
AT&T plans to deploy LTE-M using its existing licensed spectrum, allowing the new IoT service to be managed and secured through its current infrastructure. Rather than adopting alternative Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) specifications that operate in unlicensed bands, AT&T standardized on the LTE stack to leverage carrier-grade control, coverage and reliability.
According to AT&T, there are many reasons for choosing the LTE stack, but a key advantage is that it simplifies development and deployment for device makers and OEMs. Using a familiar cellular standard reduces integration complexity and helps maximize operational efficiency across the device lifecycle.
For extremely low-power devices—such as battery-powered smoke detectors—AT&T intends to support the Cat-M2 Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) standard. While final specifications are still being completed, NB-IoT aims to provide much lower data rates in the kilobits-per-second range to extend battery life as long as possible for sensors and other low-throughput devices.
Even with a primary focus on LTE-M for cellular IoT, AT&T acknowledges that connectivity is heterogeneous. The company recognizes “we’re living in a multi-network world” and will support other network types where appropriate, including WiFi, Bluetooth and mesh networks, to ensure devices can use the most suitable transport for their use case.
Do you think AT&T is making the sensible decision? Let us know in the comments.