MediaTek debuts its first NB-IoT system on chip

Taiwanese chip manufacturer MediaTek recently introduced MT2625, its first NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) system on chip (SoC).

The technology aims to solve the problem that existing cellular networks – including 2G, 3G and 4G – lack the capacity to handle billions of IoT devices. Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) was created to handle the increasing demand for connectivity.

The 3GPP LPWA specification for NB-IoT, meanwhile, is designed to reduce equipment complexity and minimize power consumption for large-scale connected devices.

The new MT2625 SoC supports a full frequency band of 3GPP R13 (NB1) and R14 (NB2) standards (from 450MHz to 1.2GHz) for a wide range of IoT applications, such as smart home control, logistics tracking and smart meters.

In order to developing cost-efficient and small-volume IoT devices, the new SoC combines an ARM Cortex-M microcontroller (MCU), pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM), flash memory and power management unit (PMU).

According to Gsmarena, with a size of 16 x 18mm, the MT2625 is the smallest IoT chip in the market.

“MediaTek was the first in the industry to support the full frequency band of 3GPP NB-IoT standards, and we are committed to continuing to invest in NB-IoT technology to meet the global market demand,” Jerry Yu, vice president and general manager of the Home Entertainment Business Group at MediaTek, said in a statement

By providing highly integrated, low power and robust connectivity technologies over the years, along with full-featured IoT software and hardware development platforms, MediaTek aims to enable developers and device makers of all sizes to quickly bring to market innovative NB-IoT devices, Yu noted.

Just last month, the company launched an IoT Wi-Fi chipset portfolio for smart home device makers. The chipsets are said to enhance energy efficiency by 300% and more capable of re-establishing Wi-Fi connection from the sleep mode.

In regards to MediaTek’s venture in the smart home market, the company recently debuted products like smart doorbell in India.