Mobile IoT gains momentum with unveiling of world's first cellular NB-IoT module

Mobile IoT (MIoT), the term for licensed 3GPP Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) solutions, made a significant step forward after Swiss module manufacturer U-blox announced the forthcoming availability of its SARA-N2 Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) module.
Sara-N2 is the world’s first cellular radio module compliant with the 3GPP Release 13, Narrowband IoT (LTE Cat. NB1) standard, and supports peak downlink rates of up to 227 kbps and uplink rates of up to 21 kbps. Simultaneous support for three RF bands means that the same module may be used in most geographic regions. Global roaming is possible with NB-IoT, which is not the case with localized unlicensed spectrum based technologies.
Other advantages include lower latency than mesh networks, the ability to run it adjacent to existing 2G and LTE networks – it needs just 200 kHz of bandwidth – and a higher transmit power limit, which improves reliability and range. It also allows for robust 2 way communication which means that features such as firmware upgrade over the air are achievable.
Sara-N2 is designed for use in applications such as smart buildings and cities, utilities metering, domestic appliances, asset tracking, and agricultural and environmental monitoring. As the Internet of Things evolves, there will be an increasing demand for IoT applications such as these that have low data rates, long battery lives, are low cost, operate in remote and hard to reach locations.
Like other MIoT technologies, NB-IoT uses a licensed spectrum based network and therefore offers greater security and freedom from interference compared to unlicensed LPWA solutions. To view the full range of advantages offered by MIoT or get involved in the GSMA’s Mobile IoT Initiative, please visit http://www.gsma.com/IoT/mobile-iot-initiative/.