AT&T Launches IoT Pilot Using LTE-M — So What is LTE-M?

AT&T launched what the company says is the first LTE-M enabled commercial site, which will support an Internet of Things pilot involving several companies, including PepsiCo, Samsung and others. “We think LTE-M will be the workhorse for low-power wide area” connectivity, said Cameron Coursey, AT&T vice president of product development for IoT solutions, in an interview.

So what is LTE-M? The term low-power wide area (LPWA) is a category of wireless communications optimized for IoT applications. Low power requirements are important to IoT because long battery life is critical. AT&T claims battery life of up to 10 years for some types of LTE-M devices. Excellent range also is important because IoT devices may be installed in remote areas. According to an AT&T white paper, LTE-M offers seven times the range of traditional LTE communications. As Coursey explained, another way of describing this is to say that LTE-M provides 15 decibels better coverage, which means that it also does a better job of penetrating walls and floors – another important capability for IoT applications, where wireless sensors or other devices may have to be located in basements or other environments that can be challenging for traditional cellular communications.