Ultra-low power consumption of Monarch 2 improves Itron’s operational efficiency in smart water solutions.

Sequans Communications S.A. announced that Itron has selected Sequans’ Monarch 2 LTE-M/NB-IoT technology to connect its newest Intelis wSource smart water meters as part of its strategy to modernize the advanced metering industry (AMI) with cellular connected solutions.

The most recent deployment of Intelis is in Queensland, Australia, where the Cairns Regional Council is using the new Itron Intelis system to manage usage, identify leaks, and lower costs in its water distribution system.

Cameron Ward, VP Procurement, Itron, said:

“We chose Sequans’ Monarch 2 to connect our meters because of its ultra-low power consumption and because it can support both LTE-M and NB-IoT in a single solution.”

“Monarch’s low power consumption extends the life of our battery-powered meters for up to 15 years, improving our operational efficiency and enabling us to provide smarter, more sustainable solutions to our customers, and its single footprint LTE-M/NB-IoT capability provides excellent deployment flexibility. Sequans’ ability to scale production globally and competitively through our product lifecycles was equally critical in our decision.”

“Itron is transforming the energy industry by moving to future-proof cellular and we are pleased to support them as they make this transition,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “Our collaboration with Itron, a clear leader in AMI, is bringing real value to Itron’s utility customers.”

Sequans Monarch 2 delivers ultra-low power consumption with rock bottom at 1 microamp, and a very high level of security.

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According to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, annual shipments of cellular IoT modules amounted to 423 million units in 2023, down 3 percent from the previous year.

Annual sales declined by 9 percent to US$ 5.4 billion in the year. The decline was largely due to high inventory levels among customers, caused by the change in purchasing behaviour during the shortages of components.

The five largest cellular module vendors – Quectel, Fibocom, Telit Cinterion, Semtech and u-blox – held a 72 percent share of the market in terms of revenues. Until 2028, shipments of cellular IoT modules are forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent to reach 786 million units.

The rapid growth of LTE Cat-1 bis module shipments is currently the strongest trend in the market. After UNISOC’s launch of the first LTE Cat-1 bis chipset in 2019, LTE Cat-1 bis modules account for more than 100 million units of the annual volume and are expected to remain the largest category throughout the forecasted period. LTE Cat-1 bis chipsets are now available from close to 10 suppliers, most of which are based in China. LTE Cat-1 bis module prices have dropped below US$ 5 per unit in large volumes on the Chinese market, where the modules are widely used across product categories such as POS terminals, asset trackers, vehicle telematics devices and smart meters.

LTE Cat-1 bis is also becoming a popular option across other markets, especially in regions where 4G LTE networks are expected to remain in operation for the foreseeable future. LTE-M modules however still beat LTE Cat-1 bis modules on pricing and are the more popular option for IoT devices with stricter requirements on power consumption and long lifecycle. As LTE-M is 5G-ready, it is suitable for IoT devices that will stay in the field for more than 10 years, which may prove critical as mobile operators in advanced markets will start to sunset their 4G LTE networks near the end of the decade.

In the high-speed segments, 5G is starting to replace high-speed 4G LTE variants across product categories like connected cars, FWA CPEs and IoT routers. 5G RedCap modules are starting to become generally available and will function as a replacement for LTE Cat-4 and LTE Cat-6 modules. Uptake of the technology is expected to accelerate in 2026–2027 when pricing and 5G SA network coverage have improved. Berg Insight has identified 10 cellular chipset suppliers that have launched or plan to launch 5G RedCap chipsets, which will over time contribute to a healthy device ecosystem.

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18th June 2024: the first 5 Kinéis nanosatellites to take off on Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher

Kinéis, satellite operator and connectivity provider for the Internet of Things (IoT), is deploying the 1st European constellation dedicated to the IoT, comprising 25 nanosatellites.

The first of the 5 launches is scheduled for Tuesday 18 June 2024 (time confirmed 24 hours in advance), from New Zealand. The aim is to put 5 satellites into orbit. This launch phase comes just four years after the company raised a historic €100 million in funding.

On the occasion of this 1st launch, Alexandre Tisserant, Chairman of Kinéis, said:

“Kinéis is proud and confident to entrust the deployment of its IoT constellation to Rocket Lab. The Electron launcher meets our technical requirements for positioning the 5 nanosatellites for each of our 5 launches. Kinéis is leading the IoT revolution thanks to its space connectivity, which will enable any object to be connected anywhere in the world.”

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO said:

“We’re excited to launch Kinéis on the first of five dedicated Electron launches. Electron is perfectly suited to deploying constellations as we can deliver spacecraft to multiple orbital planes across multiple missions, and we’re proud to make this possible for the team at Kinéis.”

Kinéis chooses Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher

Kinéis has selected the American company of New Zealand origin Rocket Lab and its Electron small launch vehicle, dedicated to access to space for small satellites. Rocket Lab has been operating regular flights with Electron since 2017. This first launch for Kinéis corresponds to the 50th launch of the Electron launch vehicle. Electron has strong flight heritage after seven years of launches and meets the constraints of the Kinéis constellation, which is positioned on 5 precisely defined orbital planes. With 5 satellites placed in orbit per launch, Kinéis is the sole passenger on each of the five launches, enabling it to control its launch schedule and improve the operability of satellite positioning.

An exceptional rate of 5 launches in 8 months

The 5 launches required to deploy the Kinéis constellation are scheduled to take place between June 2024 and early 2025, a first for the new French space sector. The launches will take place from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The Rocket Lab mission Control Centre is located in Auckland, the country’s economic capital, around 500 km from the launch base.

The Kinéis mission for the Internet of Things (IoT)

Thanks to its constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis’ mission is to connect an object anywhere in the world (including black points) and transmit useful data to users, in near real time, from any point on the globe.

Kinéis operates for a global market (with subsidiaries in the United States, Brazil and Singapore) in fields that represent major challenges for mankind, its activities and its environment today: prevention of natural risks (detection of forest fires, floods, drought, pollution, etc.), agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, monitoring of infrastructures and energy networks, monitoring of transport and logistics, monitoring of commercial and scientific maritime activities. The applications are infinite and the benefits considerable: risk reduction, anticipation of breakdowns, optimization of activities, etc.

Rocket Lab unveils Kineis 1st launch patch

With a reference to the Pink City where Kinéis is based and where the 25 nanosatellites in the constellation are produced, the mission for this 1st launch is called ‘No Time Toulouse’. Rocket Lab designed the patch for this mission.

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Digital Matter, global leaders in IoT asset tracking and sensor monitoring solutions, is excited to announce the launch of Device Manager, a significant evolution of its IoT Device Management Platform.

This new platform highlights Digital Matter’s dedication to providing a more robust and intuitive solution for managing its diverse range of hardware.

Device Manager is designed to provide comprehensive visibility and control over Digital Matter devices, ensuring optimal performance and longevity. The cloud-based platform simplifies device integration, updates, and configuration, saving time and resources while maximizing device performance with effortless over-the-air updates.

Key features of Device Manager include:

Device Configuration: Digital Matter partners can take control of over 200 device settings to fine-tune performance based on the use case.
Device Management: Monitor devices and troubleshoot problems quickly to improve end-customer satisfaction.
Over-the-Air Updates: Make updates to device settings, firmware, and security enhancements over-the-air.
Maximize Performance: Utilize advanced functionality such as GNSS Aiding data to improve device performance.
Enterprise-Level Security: AES-256 Encryption and Authentication keeps data secure.

“Device Manager is a vital tool for managing devices at scale, enhancing their value and performance,” said Ken Everett, CEO and Founder of Digital Matter.

“We are thrilled to introduce the next iteration of our platform, reflecting our commitment to innovation and excellence.”

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Sigfox SA has been selected as the network to support South Africa’s transition to smart water meters.

Sigfox SA, a robust and exceptionally low-power technology, was selected by the National Treasury as the network to underpin the new smart water meter ecosystem. The tender, commonly known as “RT29” awarded to various System Integrators, will see existing meters adapted or replaced to become smart meters to improve revenue collection and service delivery. All the new meters will run on the nationwide Sigfox IoT network.

Greg Rood, CEO of Sigfox South Africa, says: “Water is a basic human right, and we are proud to be associated with provision of such essential services, supporting both revenue collections and provision. The fact that the National Treasury has entrusted Sigfox to monitor and support over 15 000 000 smart water meters in the country underlines how robust the technology is. We expect this to be a catalyst to further grow our local IoT and system integrator ecosystem.”

Rood explains that Sigfox was selected to support the smart water meters due to the extensive network coverage, robustness of the technology, low power consumption and the SLAs associated with Sigfox. Sigfox 0G is a preferred technology for utilities around the world, and has an established track record of supporting large commercial utility deployments in South Africa. The superior range and penetration of the advanced Sigfox ultra-narrowband (UNB) signal makes it the ideal connectivity choice to reach meters that are often installed in challenging environments.

“The Sigfox SA network already covers 91% of the South African population. Should there be a need to extend or densify the network, this can be achieved quickly and cost-effectively,” he says.

Sigfox technology also overcomes potential power challenges – smart water meters typically lack access to external power and rely on batteries. Sigfox’s low power network technology – designed to support IoT at scale – means a device can run on the same battery for over 10 years.

Rood says: “The technology has an extremely low power reliance. The smart meter devices are sealed and waterproof, with batteries built in. Our devices will last for over 10 years at one reading a day, which far exceeds the three-year lifespan stipulated on the tender. Due to this extended lifespan, it’s practically an ‘install and forget’ scenario, which cuts costs and optimises resources. Sigfox’s benefits also include ease of installation, accuracy and reliability. And the fact that the network is independent means there is no reliance on Wi-Fi or fibre in the ground.”

He notes that Sigfox is the only mass coverage network underpinned by an SLA. “This enhances reliability and delivers unprecedented ROI for municipalities,” he says.

Rood says:

“The transition to smart meters supported by Sigfox SA will mean improved collections for municipalities, real-time and accurate billing for customers, and improved management of increasingly scarce water resources.”

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The new Telenor IoT Test Lab in Karlskrona, Sweden, was introduced in spring 2024 and is a unique way to help customers understand how their connected IoT products behave before deployment.

Testing is an important component for any development project, and in cellular IoT it is crucial to be confident the device will be reliable in as many different environments and conditions as possible before it’s shipped. With thorough IoT device testing before deployment customers can reduce time to market, improve test coverage and find issues early – to prevent costly troubleshooting later when massive number of products have already reached the market.

Since the early days of IoT many new and advanced connectivity technologies have been developed, for example LTE-M, NB-IoT and 5G providing enhanced coverage, improved energy consumption, and data throughput. However, the new features also add complexity and more scenarios where profiling and tuning of settings are required to extract the optimum performance for the customer’s specific use case.

The Telenor IoT Test Lab is located in Karlskrona, Sweden. The lab is equipped with a Faraday radio cage tuned specifically for testing of different networks. It provides access to the four Nordic Telenor operators, Telenor Sweden, Telenor Norway, DNA (Finland) and Telenor Denmark in one location. It has advanced steering and control systems allowing control of the available operator, access technology and even signal levels, allowing simulation of most network scenarios in a controlled and repeatable way.

Testing is always tailored to each customer’s individual needs and can be carried out either on-site or remotely by sending devices to the Telenor IoT test manager. Telenor is also able to offer automated long-term testing.

In addition to technical capabilities Telenor offers experienced test managers to provide support in planning the tests, analyzing test results, and providing solution suggestions for any issues that might arise during the testing.

Typical test scenarios that Telenor IoT customers can verify in the Test Lab facility are:

At what radio signal level does the device disconnect from the network? How does the device behave if the primary network temporarily disappears? Does it switch to another technology or operator? How fast does it recover?
Does the device follow the GSMA recommendations regarding efficiency guidelines?
How energy efficient is the device in various network conditions and signal strengths?
How will the device handle different roaming scenarios?

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A new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight reveals that the penetration of smart electricity meters in North America reached 80 percent in 2023.

Overall, the installed base of smart electricity meters will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8 percent during 2023–2029, reaching a total of 182.9 million units by the end of the forecast period. Over the next six years, the penetration of smart meters in the US will increase to 94 percent while in the more advanced Canadian market, it will reach 96 percent.

“First-generation smart meter shipments will account for an increasingly smaller share of annual shipment volumes. In the next two years, first-generation projects by utilities such as AEP, PSEG, Xcel Energy, First Energy, PPL, Dominion Energy, National Grid, Ameren, Avangrid, Exelon and AES will contribute to annual first-generation smart electricity meter shipments ranging from 5 to 7 million units. Meanwhile, second-generation smart meter deployments account for a growing share of annual smart meter shipment volumes and are forecast to account for more than 80 percent of yearly shipments by the end of the forecast period,” said Mattias Carlsson, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight.

According to the study, yearly shipments of smart electricity meters in North America will peak at 18.5 million in 2024 and gradually decline to 14.9 million units by 2029.

Alongside the increase in replacement smart meter projects, the development of smart metering technology in the North American market has recently shifted focus to new demands beyond smart metering. Utilities are now looking to leverage their existing network canopies for a wider array of smart city applications. They are also addressing how to integrate the rapidly increasing number of electric vehicles and distributed energy resources into the grid infrastructure.

“The leading vendors are now in a race to develop and successfully market the most compelling use cases for second-generation smart metering technology. In addition to enhanced computing power, edge analytics and more frequent meter reads that offer a new range of benefits and control, utilities are increasingly seeking to combine various applications into a unified solution”, concluded Mr. Carlsson.

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Inevitably, the adoption of generative AI and LLM (Large Language Model) has fueled more intelligence and efficiency in our lives and works than in the past decade. Moving forward, the demand for running AI and LLM at the edge devices is growing as it provides lower latency, higher privacy, and more flexibility, which is set to redefine the level of intelligence of smart devices as well as broaden the landscape of mobile scenarios.

Fibocom launches a series of on-device AI solutions powered by Qualcomm® QCS8550 and QCM6490 processors from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

The solutions are designed to satisfy compute-intensive application scenarios such as robotics, automated vehicles, video collaborations, smart retailing, etc., accelerating industrial digitalization and intelligent transformation.

Flagship on-device AI solution powered by Qualcomm QCS8550 processor

Utilizing the powerful Qualcomm QCS8550 processor, Fibocom’s flagship on-device AI solution is designed to deliver strong performance and unparalleled multimedia capabilities. Equipped with an octa-core CPU and an Adreno 740 GPU, the solution can support up to 4 concurrent displays, and 8K video encoding and decoding. It serves as a strong core for industries requiring high-definition video playing, fast data analytics and lower latency like automated vehicles, robotics, remote medical surgery, computer vision systems, live streaming, video conference systems, and more.

Premium on-device AI solution powered by Qualcomm QCM6490 processors, piloting the high-end AIoT market

The solution developed using the Qualcomm QCM6490 processor, features an octa-core processor with high-speed HVX (Hexagon Vector Extension) technology, and a high-performance graphics engine to allow smooth 4K video playing and multi-channel camera inputs. In addition, the solution is capable of allowing a maximum of 5 ISPs (Image Signal Processing) and up to 5-8 camera streams simultaneously, helping customers to ease their concerns on multi-camera deployments as well as dual-screen display scenarios.

The solution offers flexible wireless connections such as 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and is equipped with a GNSS receiver for precise navigation both indoors and outdoors. In terms of software, the solution supports the mainstream operating systems: Android, Linux, and Windows. Leveraging the computing power of up to 13 TOPS, the solution efficiently helps customers handle data-intensive computation and processing, running various 1.3B/3B/7B open-source LLMs on the device, making it an ideal solution for smart retail, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and industrial inspection.

“We are excited to see our powerful Qualcomm processors, the QCS8550 and QCM6490, being utilized in Fibocom’s innovative on-device AI solutions,” stated Dev Singh, Vice President of Business Development and Head of building, enterprise & industrial automation at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to advancing AI capabilities at the edge, enhancing performance and efficiency across a range of applications from industrial automation to smart retail.”

“It is paramount to master the productivity of AI and create value-added solutions from the edge side for our customers that are in urgent need of building their smart devices based on our solutions. We are thrilled to develop these solutions based on the advanced and powerful chipsets from Qualcomm Technologies, as it not only provides the fundamental architecture of edge intelligence, also enriches flexibility in network connections such as 5G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth,” said Ralph Zhao, VP of MC BU at Fibocom.

“In collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Fibocom is dedicated to injecting new versatility to the future of intelligence, and accelerating the implementation of our collaboration in robotics, industrial automation, live streaming, and more.”

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The quality of service (QoS) is gaining momentum as 5G evolves to a stronger second half of its technology cycle. In an effort to empower exceptional 5G FWA experience worldwide, Fibocom is continually enabling innovative capabilities such as enhanced MIMO technology, and optimized spectrum utilization to FG370-NA.

Fibocom addresses a combo of advanced 5G features on FG370-NA to deliver superior 5G FWA experience for home, enterprise, and industrial scenarios.

Developed from MediaTek’s T830 chipset, the high integration FG370-NA is utilized to unleash the full capacity of 5G data transmission, ensuring optimal performance in all 5G connection scenarios as well as Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Enabling 3Tx (Transmit Antennas) and 8Rx (Receive Antennas) Arrays for FG370-NA

Designed to meet the demand for mobile broadband scenarios, the 5G Sub-6GHz module FG370-NA operates on both 5G SA and NSA network architecture, supports 4CC CA with up to 300MHz bandwidth on the downlink, furthermore, by applying 8Rx (Receive Antennas) to the receiver array, coped with the SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) deployed in the UE (User Equipment) such as 5G CPE to take full advantages of the four highest qualified uplink channels thus achieving the improvement of the downlink speed of up to 7.1Gbps and the reduction of signal interference. However, when it comes to the uplink, especially for the livestreaming, and video conferencing scenarios, the efficient multipath transmitting array is crucial for channel capacity utilization and uplink improvement. FG370-NA supports 3Tx (transmit antennas) by enabling the aggregation of TDD and FDD on the uplink simultaneously, resulting 68% throughput increase in contrast to 2Tx, which is sufficient to provide uplink speed of up to 2.5Gps. Both innovations unleash the potential of FG370-NA to deliver lightning speed to complex indoor and outdoor scenarios.

“As we are stepping into an efficient-oriented, AI-driven second half of the 5G era, we are proud to launch a combo of elevated 5G FWA solutions, powered by MediaTek, including the FG370-NA module during Computex 2024. This advanced solution featuring enhanced MIMO technology and optimized spectrum utilization, sets a new benchmark in delivering superior 5G FWA experiences,” said Simon Tao, VP of MBB Product Management Dept., Head of MBB BU at Fibocom.

“With Fibocom’s advanced FG370-NA and industry know-how in the 5G FWA market, we are confident to ensure unparalleled QoS and reliability in the 5G era.”

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Fibocom launches 5G + Wi-Fi 7 solution for 5G FWA during Computex 2024, satisfying the demand for higher data-throughput and extending Wi-Fi 7 performance in home, SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business) and industrial scenarios.

Boosting 5G + Wi-Fi 7 Capabilities of Peak Performance Up to BE7200

The ultra-high bandwidth and low latency features make the FG370 an optimal wireless solution for 5G FWA scenarios like smart home, SMB, and industrial monitoring. The multiplier solution can be realized by coupling with the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology, unleashing the full potential of a lightning-fast wireless experience for end users. Compliant with the IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) standard, the 5G + Wi-Fi 7 solution supports a 4K QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) modulation scheme as well as up to 160MHz channel bandwidth to expand the data transmission capacity and reduce latency efficiently.

It is worth mentioning that the solution also supports dual-band 2.4GHz 4 x 4 and 5GHz 5 x5 to achieve MLO speed of up to 7.2Gbps. In terms of reliability and transmission efficiency, the integration with OFDMA, Multi-RU, and MU-MIMO technologies guarantees interference-free, signal-boosted performance. Driven by the unique 5T5R system empowered by the Wi-Fi 7 chipset, the end users will benefit from 5dB antenna gains and extended network coverage versus previous generations.

“As the world’s first 5G module developed from MediaTek’s T830, Fibocom FG370 has been recognized and deployed by global Tier 1 operators’ 5G CPE commercialization since its first debut in October 2023. Evolved with the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, Fibocom launched the tri-band BE19000 solution based on FG370 during MWC 2024,” said Simon Tao, VP of MBB Product Management Dept., Head of MBB BU at Fibocom.

“Up to date, Fibocom is glad to be the first module vendor launching the industry-first dual-band BE7200 solution based on FG370 compatible with Wi-Fi 7 chipset, significantly boosting the overall performance in terms of speed performance, cost and frequency regulatory requirements. The Tri industry-leading innovations prove Fibocom’s product capabilities on the MediaTek T830 platform and the dedication to helping customers win the market.”

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