Smart Cities

In order for a smart city ecosystem to become a reality, there is going to have to be a mass deployment of IoT devices across everything from car parks to street and traffic lights to buildings, public transport, and other public spaces. This mass deployment will be interconnected, making city life easier to navigate in any number of ways, whether that means knowing where you can find a free parking space or when the next bus will arrive, as well as keeping public areas more secure with real-time monitoring of public spaces. Mass deployment brings new cost requirements in order to make projects feasible, thus its support for low-cost devices makes LTE-M a true enabler for these use cases.

Utilities

LTE-M-enabled devices allow you to monitor remote infrastructure and assets, such as underground pipelines and wind, solar, or thermal generation equipment, as well as smart meters. This will improve efficiencies, allow for predictive maintenance (which in turn leads to cost savings), and provide vital information on things like energy consumption, leading to improved sustainability.

In real terms this could mean monitoring ageing water supply systems, which are prone to leakage and other issues but where challenges are difficult to identify before they become a real problem and cost everyone a lot of money. Sensors detect leaks much more quickly, which allows them to be repaired faster.

LTE-M can also enable use cases where actuators in the field need to be triggered with very low delay, thanks to LTE-M’s very low latency characteristics, especially when compared to other LPWA technologies.

Agriculture/Environment

It’s not easy to change a battery on a cow! Because LTE-M provides the required mobility, reliability, and remote coverage, the tracking and monitoring of livestock such as cattle, as well as wild animals is greatly enhanced.  Out in the field, condition monitoring is simplified, giving you the ability to monitor things like soil quality, weather, temperature, humidity, etc. And governmental agencies and scientists can use LTE-M sensors to analyze water levels, predict flooding, and issue early warnings.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT and LTE-M can enable your business, please get in touch.