u-blox module certified on T-Mobile USA’s new NB-IoT network

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u‑blox has announced that T-Mobile USA has certified its LTE Cat NB1 SARA-N410 module to run on its new NB-IoT network - the first NB-IoT network to launch in the US.

At 16 x 26 mm, SARA-N410 is designed to support ultra low power consumption, which u-blox says makes it “ideal” for cost optimised long-term solutions required by many IoT applications.

Critical firmware updates can be delivered securely with u-blox proprietary uFOTA (firmware over the air) client/server solution that uses LWM2M, a light and compact protocol ideal for IoT applications, u-blox adds. This enables customers to maintain the hardware over the full lifetime of the product for future enhancements to features and functionalities, especially in the case of crucial applications running on devices deployed over long periods of time. SARA-N410 also supports non-IP data delivery, which u-blox describes as a “more efficient” way of transmitting data for throughput-constrained low power wide area (LPWA) technologies.

SARA-N410’s is also deisgned to provide easy migration between u-blox 2G, 3G and 4G modules, while enabling future-proof, seamless mechanical scalability across technologies. With a temperature range of -40 to +85°C, the module supports Power Save Mode (PSM) and Extended Discontinuous Reception (e-DRX), which can extend battery lifetime up to 10 years.

3GPP Coverage Enhancement permits the module’s connectivity to reach deeper into buildings and even underground when compared to other air interface technologies such as GSM or Cat 1.