NEW YORK, June 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first
time, Verizon's LTE network carried a live over-the-air LTE Cat M1
VoLTE call -- laying the foundation for the next generation of IoT
connectivity.
By proving CAT M1 VoLTE technology works on a production
network, Verizon, along with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies
Inc., demonstrated that the reach of Cat M1 can extend across
Verizon's U.S. LTE network, fostering growth opportunities for IoT
companies and developers, whether they are focused on data-only or
voice-enabled products.
"Extending VoLTE technology on Verizon's nationwide LTE Cat M1
network is the natural next step in the evolution of IoT," said
Rosemary McNally, vice president for
corporate technology at Verizon. "By proving that voice services
can be delivered on a production LTE Cat M1 network, we're paving
the way for new types of IoT applications and services."
In addition to its ubiquity, Cat M1 brings efficiency, extended
coverage and security advantages to the market. Cat M1 is designed
for devices that require extended battery life, which enables a
variety of applications from water meters to wearables to asset
trackers and consumer electronics. This technology also allows
signals to better penetrate walls and floors to reach devices
located in remote locations. Cat M1 is a 3GPP-based technology that
is deployed on licensed spectrum, owned and operated by one entity,
which means IoT traffic traverses a more secure network.
For the trial Verizon used Ericsson's commercial network
infrastructure deployed on the Verizon network and incorporated the
Qualcomm® MDM9206 global multimode LTE modem, whose chip
is enabled for Verizon's ThingSpace IoT development platform.
"Qualcomm Technologies is pleased to have worked with Verizon
and Ericsson to prove that voice services are possible on a
commercial LTE Cat M1 network," said Joe
Glynn, vice president, business development, Qualcomm
Technologies. "Our MDM9206 global multimode LTE IoT modem, designed
to support LTE Cat M1 with VoLTE, Cat NB-1 and E-GPRS, brings many
enhancements and optimizations to LTE that can help reduce IoT
complexity and supports leading operators such as Verizon to
quickly commercialize new types of applications and services that
require voice."
Eric Parsons, head of Product
Line 4G and RAN Mobile Broadband at Ericsson, said, "We are very
pleased to have successfully demonstrated live VoLTE calls over
Verizon's commercial LTE Cat M1 network, together with Qualcomm
Technologies. The IoT space offers new revenue-generating services
for operators and adding voice capabilities to IoT devices takes
use cases such as alarm panels and medical alert systems to the
next level of functionality."
Verizon has been a leader in Cat M1 technology. In 2017, the
company was the first operator to deploy Cat M1 nationwide and in
2016, Verizon was the first service provider to launch a commercial
Cat M1 network.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in
New York City, has a diverse
workforce of 161,000 and generated nearly $126 billion in 2016 revenues. Verizon operates
America's most reliable wireless network, with 113.9 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.
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Related Links
http://www.verizon.com/
https://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.verizonenterprise.com/
http://www.verizon.com/about/
Media contacts:
Lynn
Staggs
lynn.staggs@verizon.com
Chris McCann
christopher.mccann@verizon.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
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SOURCE Verizon