Global LoRaWAN network provider The Things Industries (TTI), has decided to partner with Deutsche Telekom to combine their LTE-M and LoRaWAN capabilities to “provide an out-of-the-box connectivity solution allowing for easy to setup and secure device-to-cloud communication.”
LTE-M features good signal penetration, well-suited for standalone, managed gateways inside, for example, smart buildings. TTI said in a press release that the solution will therefore start with a smart building starter kit, comprising a pre-configured LoRaWAN gateway from Mikrotik, connected over a LTE-M backhaul to TTI’s device and data platform.
Use of LTE-M reduces costs compared to LTE because of more affordable hardware, and lower usage costs. There’s also ease of use for the customer through no-touch provisioning of gateways, as they come pre-registered and only need powering up when installed. The gateway optionally supports LoRa 2.4GHz for global deployments.
The expected efforts enable IoT to move from local installations to large-scale deployments while addressing three major topics in the IoT market today: security, scalability and total cost of ownership. The partnership introduces a convergence of connectivity solutions on the market that brings the high degree of scalability and manageable costs that local IoT networks need.
To support IoT deployments in Germany and the Netherlands, an Early Access offer will be launched with LTE-M backhaul for solution providers and system integrators.
Image credit: The Things Industries