AT&T to launch NB-IoT network in US, Mexico in 2019
US telecommunications company AT&T has announced that it will be looking to successfully launch its own narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) network within the US early next year, later followed by a second launch across Mexico.
AT&T will look to use the NB-IoT network to meet the needs of its enterprise customers that request a range of IoT solutions, complementing its existing LTE-M network, both of which are considered to be low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies.
See also:
NB-IoT is suited to meeting more basic IoT requirements, whilst LTE-M allows for more complex capabilities such as software updates and mobility.
“Adding NB-IoT to our portfolio will expand our LPWA capabilities, help drive investment in our evolution to 5G and support our customers as they deploy IoT solutions across the US and Mexico,” said Chris Penrose, President, IoT Solutions, AT&T.
Further, both of AT&T’s NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies will be made future proof in order to maintain the telecommunications industry’s rising IoT standards.
“The introduction of NB-IoT and LTE-M dual-mode chipsets and modules means customers can support a wide range of applications globally,” said AT&T.
According GSMA, as cited by AT&T, 24 mobile operators have already launched a total of 48 mobile IoT networks globally, with an expectation that there will be 1.8bn LPWA connections by 2025.
