Mobile Phone Technology

LTE for Machines (LTE-M)


IoT for smart devices can be located anywhere ut they need a communication path to the cloud or a server. In an IoT application the data communication is typically small data items which do not need the full 4G / 5G communications.

What is needed is a network that :

  • Has a low power requirement; LTE-M states that a 5WH battery should last 10 years
  • Applications have a low data transmission requirement
  • Transmission is symmetrical, similar data rates required for both upload and download
LTE-M can deliver (O2 figures) 1Mbps using a 1.4MHz channel. So the protocol works over 4G but uses a narrow channel with low data rates. This is often what is required for such devices

Applications that could use LTE-M include:

  • Smart Cities street lighting, parking management although cameras would put too high a demand on the protocol.
  • Agriculture precision farming, soil monitoring, livestock tracking.
  • Environmental management gas monitoring (CO2, CO, NO) smoke detectors
  • Smart meters which currently use the either the 2G network or a bespoke 400MHz radio band. these have low data demand they will in future use LTE-M.
  • Healthcare sensors to heart rate, blood pressure etc.

It is envisaged that LTE-M (or Narrowband IoT) will take over 2G communications for many of the critical IoT networks that currently use 2G. This will be necessary prior to switching off 2G.