Product News: EMnify’s Global LTE-M roaming for low-power IoT applications

Promises IoT businesses the ability to deploy LPWAN-enabled devices in global markets.
April 15, 2021
2 min read

EMnify announced 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 promises 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, per EMnify. The technology also comes with 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.

"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," said Alexander Schebler, VP carrier relations and co-founder at EMnify. "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."

EMnify offers LTE-M access in 45 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.

Sign up for Smart Industry Newsletters
Get the latest news and updates