75B connected devices by 2025

​​​​According to figures published by the STATISTA Research Department in November 2019, over 30 billion 'things' will be connected by the end of 2020. 

By 2025, the total should reach a staggering 75 billion devices. 

Our planet is getting connected faster than we can imagine! 

The Long Term Evolution for Machines: LTE-M

To accommodate our growing need for bandwidth, wireless networks are evolving to LTE, which offers higher bandwidth, speed and reliability. 

However, the vast majority of new IoT connections don’t require maximum speed and throughput. 

For typical IoT solutions like alarm systems, asset trackers, smart meters, smart city controllers, wearables and industrial sensors, an optimized category of Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) LTE is preferred.

The latest generation of IoT-optimized connectivity technology, LTE-M, short for LTE Cat. M1 follows Cat. 1 and takes network efficiency and simplicity to a whole new level. 

In other words, LTE-M connects simple devices that transmit low volumes of data over long periods and with low power consumption.

Innovative LTE-M modules

Thales and Sequans are first to innovate Cat. M1 for the IoT market enabling reduced power consumption and cost through optimized wireless speeds at 375kbps while simultaneously boosting reliability and range for indoor installations.

Offering advanced power management capabilities and efficient use of the network, Thales’s Cat. M1 technology enables long standby times and ten years of battery-powered operation, making it ideal for remote solutions without easy access to power. 

Offered in Thales's proprietary industrial footprint, the Cat. M1 module enables smooth migration from 2G and 3G devices without major design overhauls - a mission-critical achievement for many IoT business models.

As a dedicated LPWAN standard, IoT LTE M enables lower costs, small footprints and innovative low-power optimization. It fills a growing need for IoT solutions and is driving the marketplace forward as billions of new devices get connected.

The LTE for IoT ecosystem on both the network and device side is progressing rapidly toward commercial readiness. 

This is evidenced in a recent demonstration where Ericsson's LTE Cat. M1 eNodeB software and an IoT module based on Sequans' Monarch LTE Cat. M1 chip are successfully communicating, compliant with 3GPP Rel13 specifications for Machine-Type Communications.