LTE-M is the simplified industry term for the eMTC LPWA technology, which was standardised by 3GPP in the Release 13 specification. It specifically refers to LTE CatM1, which is designed to support the IoT. LTE-M is a low power wide area (LPWA) technology, providing low device complexity and extended coverage, while allowing the reuse of existing LTE base stations.
The technology can allow connected devices to have a battery lifetime of at least 10 years for a wide range of use cases, with the modem costs reduced to 20-25% of the current EGPRS modems. LTE-M also supports relatively fast data throughput, mobility, roaming and potentially voice services.
Supported by all major mobile equipment, chipset and module manufacturers, LTE-M networks will co-exist with 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile networks and benefit from all the security and privacy features of mobile networks, such as support for user identity confidentiality, entity authentication, data integrity, and mobile equipment identification. Commercial launches of LTE-M networks are now underway.
AT&T, KPN, Orange, Telefónica, Telstra and Verizon are among the operators rolling out LTE-M, following pilots of the technology across a wide variety of use cases, including monitoring individuals’ location and vital signs using wearable devices. AT&T and its enterprise customers have also piloted LTE-M for smart shelving, asset management, logistics, fleet management and other use cases that require low cost mobile connectivity.
GSMA LTE-M Task Force
Working on behalf of the mobile industry and wider ecosystem stakeholders, the GSMA LTE-M Task Force aims to accelerate the widespread adoption of 3GPP-based LTE-M technology. The Task Force Chair is David Allen of AT&T, and the Vice-Chairs are Ronan Le Bras of Orange and Toshiyasu Wakayama of KDDI.
Discover more about how LTE-M is being used for:
LTE-M Resources
5G in IoT and the Impact of COVID-19
Wednesday 17 Jun 2020 | 5G | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
Dr Shane Rooney, Executive Director, IoT Networks at the GSMA, and Mark Thirman, CEO at dotIoT LLC and Chair at the MIT Connected Things Conference, discuss the role and benefits of Mobile IoT technology, what 5G means for IoT, and the impact of COVID-19.
IoT Beyond Connectivity Case Study: TELUS’ Vehicle Tracking Improves Urban Life
Wednesday 27 May 2020 | Asset Tracking | Automotive & Mobility | Internet of Things – general | LTE-M | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | North America | Resources | Telematics |
TELUS' End-to-end IoT solution is helping Canadian cities deliver services faster and more efficiently
Leveraging the SIM for Secure E2E IP Connections: IoT Security Pt. 2 (Mobile IoT Developer Guides)
Tuesday 10 Mar 2020 | Both Technologies | IoT Security | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
Ian Smith, IoT Security Lead at the GSMA, demonstrates how to leverage the SIM to establish secure end-to-end IP connections between IoT devices and the cloud.
Customising and Locking Down IoT Connectivity: IoT Security Pt. 1 (Mobile IoT Developer Guides)
Monday 9 Mar 2020 | Both Technologies | IoT Security | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
Ian Smith, IoT Security Lead at the GSMA, shows how easy it can be to customise and ‘lock down’ IoT network connectivity to reduce the attack surfaces of IoT services.
Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers – Part 3: Prototype to Production
Monday 25 Nov 2019 | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA has collaborated with NimbeLink to create a 3-Part Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers. In the series, NimbeLink will walk you through some of the things you need to know before adding LTE or cellular connectivity to your IoT product.
Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers – Part 2: Cellular Hardware Considerations
Sunday 24 Nov 2019 | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA has collaborated with NimbeLink to create a 3-Part Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers. In the series, NimbeLink will walk you through some of the things you need to know before adding LTE or cellular connectivity to your IoT product.
Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers – Part 1: Technology Overview
Saturday 23 Nov 2019 | Both Technologies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT | Resources |
The GSMA has collaborated with NimbeLink to create a 3-Part Cellular Crash Course for IoT Device Developers. In the series, NimbeLink will walk you through some of the things you need to know before adding LTE or cellular connectivity to your IoT product.
Deploying Compact-Size IoT Ring on Mobile IoT Networks – Sierra Wireless & Nimb
Wednesday 20 Mar 2019 | MIoT Sectors Wearables | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M | MIoT Technology NB-IoT |
Nicolas Damour, Director of Technology Partnerships at Sierra Wireless shares how Sierra Wireless IoT modules are enabling compact-size IoT ...
LTE-M Commercialisation Case Study: How AT&T and Telstra Connect Million More IoT Devices
Wednesday 9 Jan 2019 | LTE-M | MIoT Case Studies | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M |
This paper outlines how two of the world's leading mobile operators - AT&T and Telstra - are using LTE-M technology to roll out innovative new services. In North America, AT&T is working with white goods manufacturers to provide ...
Connected Honeybee Hive – The Bee Corp, NimbeLink and Verizon
Wednesday 9 Jan 2019 | LTE-M | MIoT Technology | MIoT Technology LTE-M |
Understand how the endangered honeybee stock can be preserved by deploying IoT asset trackers managed by The Bee Corp and NimbeLink on Verizon's LTE-M network, through monitoring the health of the beehive.
