Qualcomm boasts about adoption of its LTE Cat M1/NB-1 modem for IoT

HONG KONG – Qualcomm Technologies said it has secured design wins among the industry’s leading module OEMs based on its MDM9206 LTE modem for IoT applications. The news is notable considering the wide range of technologies vying for positions in the nascent but growing IoT space.

What’s so great about Qualcomm’s modem? For one thing, it offers lower power consumption and longer range connectivity than the company’s previous LTE generations, according to Qualcomm.

The MDM9206 modem is designed to support LTE category M1 (eMTC), upgradeable to dual category M1/NB-1 mode with an anticipated upcoming software update. It will be suitable for a range of applications, including smart energy and metering, building security, infrastructure, industrial control and automation, retail point of sale, asset tracking, medical, lighting and aftermarket telematics.

Qualcomm certainly has caught the interest of the largest U.S. operators. “AT&T and Qualcomm Technologies have a successful and long-standing relationship that is deepening with the IoT,” noted Chris Penrose, president of the Internet of Things business at AT&T, in a press release. “Qualcomm Technologies will join our pilot of LTE-M network and module technology that will enable a new generation of industries and applications for IoT. The Qualcomm MDM9206 modem will help deliver new, intelligent and cost-effective IoT services, and use cases to our industrial, commercial and smart cities customers.”

RELATED: AT&T: No need to wait on IoT, LTE-M is right around the corner

“Thanks to the improved building blocks for IoT solutions, every facet of our world is becoming connected,” said Mike Lanman, SVP of IoT and enterprise products at Verizon, in the release. “By utilizing solutions including Qualcomm Technologies’ MDM9206 modem, which is integrated with IoT platforms like Verizon’s Thingspace, we can accelerate the delivery of connected services specifically tailored for rapidly growing markets like smart metering for utilities including electric, gas and water.”

Qualcomm certainly has a lot of company in the IoT space, including the likes of Sigfox, Ingenu and LoRa. But Qualcomm, like its operator partners often do, likes to point out that cellular-based solutions are backed by 3GPP global standards with a roadmap to 5G, and LTE IoT technologies will continue to evolve beyond 3GPP Release 13 with new features, such as support for multicast and positioning.