Cellular chipset vendor Sony Semiconductor Israel has introduced what it claims is the world’s first LTE-M/NB-IoT solution that combines LPWA communication protocols and satellite connectivity in a single chipset.
Called the ALT1350, the chipset is designed to enable internet of things (IoT) power issues by reducing consumption by 80% in standby mode compared to current chipsets and by 85% when using it to send short messages. Sony said this will enable four times longer battery life for typical devices.
The device could be used in a wide range of markets such as utilities, vehicles, tracking devices, smart cities, connected health and other verticals.
Other features of the ALT1350 include:
- A sensor hub to collect data
- Cellular and Wi-Fi-based positioning
- Integrated concurrent LTE and GNSS for tracking applications
- Support for IEEE 802.15.4-based protocols such as Wi-Sun, U-Bus Air and wM-Bus
- Future compatibility with 3GPP release 17
- Operation with 5G networks
- Additional LPWA radio transceiver
