US Cellular has rolled out its LTE-M network across more than 90% of its cell sites nationwide and plans to reach full coverage by the end of the second quarter.
LTE-M is an international cellular standard optimized for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. It provides reliable, secure, and cost-effective connectivity for large numbers of IoT devices in urban centers, rural regions, and remote locations.
US Cellular’s LTE-M network is well suited for a broad range of IoT solutions—such as fleet and asset tracking, tank and environmental monitoring, smart metering, and other low-power wide-area (LPWAN) applications—because it extends coverage while keeping deployment costs lower. Devices designed for LTE-M typically consume less power and can be simpler and less expensive, enabling wider, battery-friendly IoT deployments.
The Illinois-based carrier, which is the fifth-largest wireless provider in the United States according to Statista, already supports a variety of LTE-M modules, including the Telit ME910C1-WW and ME910C1-NA, the Quectel BG96, and the u-blox SARA-R410M.
“Our LTE-M network brings our business and government customers capabilities and features that will enable an entirely new set of use cases to help them improve their operations and grow their business,” said Jim Anetsberger, US Cellular vice president of business sales. “We want to set our IoT customers up for future success with solutions that are designed to meet their specific needs.”
“Working together with our vendors and customers, we can unleash the potential of our LTE-M network,” Anetsberger added.
In related industry activity, last September AT&T signed roaming agreements with Canadian carriers—including Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, and Telus—to help expand LTE-M availability for IoT customers. Under those agreements, AT&T provided those operators with access to its LTE-M coverage across the US, while AT&T customers gained the ability to roam on the Canadian carriers’ LTE-M networks.
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