NEW YORK, March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 31, 2017, Verizon will launch the first
nationwide commercial 4G LTE Category M1 (or Cat M1) network, which
spans 2.4 million square miles. This is the first and only Cat M1
network providing scale, coverage and security for customers
seeking wireless access solutions for IoT. Verizon's Cat M1 network
is built on a virtualized cloud environment which enables rapid and
agile IoT solution deployment and nationwide scaling aimed at
increasing IoT adoption for developers and businesses with new and
more economical IoT data plans.
Verizon maintains a strong leadership position in IoT technology
and solutions with a history of firsts, including the first
deployment of 4G LTE, LTE Cat 1 and now LTE Cat M1. A game-changer
for the industry, Cat M1 is a new class of LTE chipset that is
designed for sensors. They require less power, offer extended
battery life and support an array of use cases ranging from water
meters to asset trackers to consumer electronics.
"We are very proud to again demonstrate our innovative
leadership by providing this commercially available network for our
customers, an industry first," said Mike
Haberman, Network Vice President at Verizon. "As the natural
shift from CDMA-based IoT solutions to the more robust and
cloud-based LTE technology occurs, it's important we stay ahead of
that technology evolution for our customers so we can continue to
provide them service on the best and most advanced wireless
network. Our commercial deployment of the nationwide LTE Cat M1
network does just that."
Cat M1 device technology and pricing options
The low bandwidth use cases for Cat M1 chipsets demand new types
of data plans, including low rate, multi-year plans to match the
longer useful life of devices. Cat M1 devices can economically
scale on Verizon's wireless network on data plans that are as low
as $2 per month per device, with
customized options available for bulk activations and volume
purchases. By providing competitive rate plans, less expensive
chipsets and a global platform to develop, manage and deploy IoT
solutions on, Verizon gives innovators, developers and businesses a
simple approach to scale from millions of connected devices to
billions on 4G LTE at a cost structure that's competitive with
other technologies.
In collaboration with industry-leading partners, Verizon has
enabled an open ecosystem for Cat M1 that includes infrastructure
providers and manufacturers of chipsets, modules and devices.
Verizon's Cat M1 partners include industry leaders including
Sequans, Telit, U-Blox, Sierra Wireless, Gemalto, Qualcomm
Technologies, and Altair, who together with Verizon are solving for
the next generation of IoT use cases. Today, Verizon offers
certified chipsets, modules and devices for Cat M1 from Sequans,
Telit, Qualcomm Technologies, Encore Networks, Link Labs, and
NimbeLink.
Mike Lanman, Senior Vice
President – Business Products and IoT at Verizon, calls Verizon's
launch of the nation's first LTE Cat M1 network "a game changer for
the industry, enabling a broad range of sensors and new categories
of devices with better power efficiency and longer battery life
than current IoT solutions. By launching this network with a fresh
set of connectivity rate options, we're not only continuing to lead
the way for IoT, but we're also enabling true scalability from
millions to billions of IoT devices in a simple, secure manner and
at a reduced cost to connect, all on America's most reliable LTE
network."
Cat M1 paired with Verizon's ThingSpace Platform and
ThingSpace Client enable seamless and secure development,
management and deployment of IoT solutions
ThingSpace is Verizon's global, web-based IoT platform that
enables developers and customers to create new IoT solutions and
manage their IoT environments end-to-end from the device to the
application level. With roughly 14,000 developers using the
platform today, new APIs added regularly and global agreements to
support connectivity in more than 175 countries, ThingSpace offers
a simplified approach for building, deploying and managing IoT
applications, which can be customized for a wide-range of IoT use
cases such as asset management, industrial automation, wearables,
smart city technologies, consumer electronics and more. Verizon's
new and more economical pricing for Cat M1 data plans includes a
robust framework for developers with global customization options
for APIs and connectivity, designed to reduce costs and speed to
market on the ThingSpace platform.
When Cat M1 LTE chipsets that are pre-loaded with Verizon
ThingSpace client are deployed (like the one offered by Qualcomm
Technologies), customers, developers and end-users will receive a
better, more turnkey experience. For example, in the consumer
context, use of the ThingSpace client on a connected washing
machine would allow the machine to securely and seamlessly connect
to the 4GLTE network and communicate with the consumer or
manufacturer regarding chore status and diagnostic information.
To get started, visit Verizon's ThingSpace portal or click here
for more information.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in
New York City, has a diverse
workforce of 160,900 and generated nearly $126 billion in 2016 revenues. Verizon operates
America's most reliable wireless network, with 114.2 million retail
connections nationwide. The company also provides communications
and entertainment services over mobile broadband and the nation's
premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated business
solutions to customers worldwide.
Related Links
http://www.verizon.com/
https://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.verizonenterprise.com/
http://www.verizon.com/about/
Adria Tomaszewski
Adria.tomaszewski@verizon.com
908-559-4880
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SOURCE Verizon