(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Savushkin)
For several years the Internet of Things (IoT) community has known that AT&T would phase out its second-generation networks at the end of 2016. What once seemed distant is now immediate: Long Term Evolution (LTE) is reshaping the industry within months.
Some organizations are already adopting LTE. Major automakers are equipping vehicles with LTE to create in-car Wi‑Fi hotspots. In healthcare, nurses increasingly rely on tablet devices with LTE to access apps, check medication dosages and use clinical calculators at the point of care.
Although a handful of 2G networks still exist, including services from some carriers, any business that runs machine-to-machine (M2M) or IoT devices on 2G or legacy 3G networks will need to migrate to LTE to remain operational and competitive.
Benefits and Misconceptions
LTE’s importance is growing, yet many companies hesitate to transition. The hesitation usually stems from three common misconceptions.
- LTE modules are prohibitively expensive. As with most technologies, module prices are falling. Recent trends show LTE modules moving toward price points once associated with 3G devices. Continued cost reductions are expected to create entry-level LTE components that are comparable to 2G pricing. When accounting for total cost of ownership—device cost, management, connectivity and lifecycle—LTE frequently delivers lower expenses than maintaining aging 2G systems. Early adopters already report measurable savings in deployment and operation.
- Coverage is patchy and unreliable. Skepticism about coverage accompanies every new network rollout, and LTE is no exception. However, LTE coverage has expanded rapidly. Major carriers built substantial LTE networks within a few years, and current coverage maps show much broader availability than early deployments. For many regions, LTE now rivals or exceeds the reach of older networks.
- LTE lacks interoperability. Interoperability continues to improve. Network operators and equipment vendors are collaborating on standards and on implementing voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) solutions that work across carriers. While gaps remain, industry cooperation and ongoing standardization work point toward steadily improving cross-network compatibility.
With falling hardware costs, expanding coverage and improving interoperability, LTE has become the foundation for future networked communications. The standard offers several clear advantages over previous generations.
First, LTE delivers significantly higher bandwidth. By aggregating spectrum bands and using advanced radio techniques, LTE systems can reach multi-gigabit peak rates under laboratory conditions, and practical deployments provide substantial throughput improvements over 3G. In many countries average LTE speeds are multiple times faster than legacy mobile networks and often outperform typical fixed-line connections.
Second, LTE supports greater productivity. A majority of businesses that adopted LTE report operational gains because employees can access apps, services and data wherever they work. This constant connectivity shortens response times and supports mobile workflows.
Third, LTE improves resilience. Older networks and DSL lines remain vulnerable to disruptions; embedding LTE as primary or backup connectivity reduces outage risk. Using LTE as a failover or complementary link helps ensure continuity and maintains high performance during fixed-network interruptions.
Mobile communications have evolved dramatically since the first 2G rollouts, and enterprise strategies must adapt accordingly.
Best Practices
Historically, many companies designed a product first and added wireless connectivity later. That approach no longer fits the pace and complexity of modern M2M and IoT solutions.
Today, businesses should engage connectivity providers early in the product design phase. Identify required coverage, latency, bandwidth and roaming needs up front, and build realistic expectations around what networks can deliver in target markets.
Given that connectivity can represent a significant portion of a device’s lifetime cost, companies planning global or multi-market deployments must factor network availability and pricing into the product roadmap from the start. Early consultations with carriers, managed connectivity providers and integration experts help optimize device selection, certificate and SIM strategies, and roaming arrangements to control costs and simplify management.
LTE is not just an incremental upgrade; it enables new use cases across transportation, healthcare, industrial automation and beyond. To reap its benefits, enterprises must plan migrations carefully—testing devices on intended networks, validating failover behavior, and selecting scalable management platforms that support over-the-air updates and security patches.
As the next generation of mobile technology becomes the default for connected devices, proactive planning, close collaboration with connectivity partners and attention to total lifecycle costs will make the transition smoother and more cost effective.
What else should companies consider when shifting to LTE? Share your thoughts in the comments.