- Berlin-based emnify now offers multi-network LTE-M access in 44 countries, allowing IoT businesses to deploy LPWAN-enabled devices in global markets.
BERLIN, April 14, 2021 — Leading cloud communication platform provider for IoT, emnify, today announces global roaming of LTE-M – a 3GPP standard for Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) built on 4G networks and forward compatible with 5G. With this launch, emnify is adding LTE-M support to its current 2G, 3G, and 4G network access, providing a future-proof connectivity option for cellular IoT in answer to worldwide GSM and UMTS phase-out.
LTE-M introduces unique advantages for global IoT deployments, including:
- Long battery life with Power Save Mode (PSM) and Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) features.
- Extended range for improved indoor and underground connections.
- Low-cost modules that are only 30% of 4G module price.
Compared to NB-IoT – the other cellular LPWAN variance – LTE-M offers wider national and international roaming availability. The technology also comes with excellent mobility support and higher data rates to enable a wider range of connected use cases, such as asset tracking and fleet management. Faster data speed further reduces power consumption in medium-bandwidth transmission like over-the-air firmware updates, as devices stay online for a much shorter time.
Alexander Schebler, VP carrier relations and co-founder at emnify, explains: “We recognize LTE-M is the go-to connectivity for a variety of IoT applications because it allows for innovative features not available with previous cellular generations while solving the challenge of 2G/3G sunsetting in regions like North America. To deliver these benefits to customers, we are proactively working with our network partners to enable LTE-M roaming as soon as it is technically available in their networks.”
As of today, emnify offers LTE-M access in 44 countries with varying support levels depending on the customer’s deployment location, including:
- Expected coverage where LTE-M access is technically available by default based on standard 4G implementation of emnify's network partners.
- Validated coverage where LTE-M availability is frequently tested and confirmed by emnify's internal tests.
- Guaranteed coverage where LTE-M service is guaranteed via official roaming agreements with emnify’s network partners.
emnify empowers IoT businesses with a single SIM card for global cellular and LPWAN connectivity in 180 countries, along with a pay-as-you-go subscription model that can start at small data volumes under 1 MB. In addition to the new LTE-M launch, the company is also working on NB-IoT and 5G roaming with first agreements already signed, to ensure customers have the best access to the latest radio technologies.
For more information visit emnify’s LTE-M coverage page.
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About emnify
emnify is the leading cloud building block for cellular communications in the IoT stack, connecting millions of IoT devices globally – from electric vehicles to energy meters, alarm systems to GPS trackers, thermometers to health wearables. The emnify API and SIM technology connect and secure any kind of IoT deployment to its application back-end. emnify’s cloud-native integrations and no-code workflows ensure seamless lifecycle scalability for deployments of all sizes – from local start-up to global enterprise. The award-winning emnify IoT SuperNetwork is the largest globally distributed mobile cloud core network of its kind, supporting local network access (2G – 5G, LTE-M, NB-IoT and soon satellite) in over 180 countries from more than 25 cloud regions – and counting. emnify’s solution is built on partnerships with the leading hyperscale cloud service providers, system integrators, and hundreds of radio network operators worldwide.
