04 March 2020
O2 (Telefónica) said the first 50 sites are already live on its new 4G mobile based UK LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines) standard, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN / LPWA) service tailored to connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The mobile operator said that this is the first such LTE-M deployment in the United Kingdom, although Three UK appears to already be conducting a pilot of similar technology.
At present LTE-M networks can deliver a peak symmetric speed of 1Mbps via just 1.4MHz of bandwidth, although in fairness most IoT kit (e.g. traffic lights, parking / environment sensors, smoke detectors, waste monitoring etc.) will not require more than 0.1Mbps.
The latest Release 14 standard for LTE-M has the potential to go up to 4Mbps download and 7Mbps upload via 5MHz of bandwidth.
This offers a useful alternative to existing and significantly slower 2G based mobile connectivity.
With 50 UK cell sites already live with the technology and a national rollout planned to complete in 2020, some battery-powered IoT sensors may be able to connect to this network and continue running for up to 10 years with no need to charge.
“IoT technology has the potential to transform the way the UK does business, so to become the first UK network operator to roll out an LTE-M network is a major milestone for us here at O2,” said Paul O’ Sullivan, O2 director of wholesale and commercial. “We know that businesses looking into IoT solutions want answers now, not in five to ten years.”
He added that introducing a nationwide LTE-M network in 2020 will help unlock low-power use cases “we haven’t seen before”: from asset tracking and public sector applications like sensors on signage and traffic lights, right through to parking sensors and soil monitoring. “ We’re looking forward to partnering with UK businesses to bring these use cases to life,” O’Sullivan continued.
Businesses interested in trialling or developing LTE-M applications via the new network should contact O2 Business for more information.
