Japanese telecom giant KDDI announced it is using Sierra Wireless’ low-power wide-area (LPWA) modules for IoT applications. Next-generation gas smart meters will be the first products deployed on KDDI’s IoT network in mid-2018.
Japanese telecom giant KDDI announced it is using Sierra Wireless’ low-power wide-area (LPWA) modules for IoT applications. Next-generation gas smart meters will be the first products deployed on KDDI’s IoT network in mid-2018.
KDDI launched the first domestic cellular LTE-M telecommunication service in Japan. LTE-M allows IoT devices to connect directly to a 4G network, without a gateway and while running on batteries. KDDI expects more LTE-M IoT applications in diverse markets to follow, including logistics and wearables.
Gas service providers using the new smart meters will be able to boost their operational efficiency while offering their customers value-added services. The LTE-M networks provided by KDDI deliver a new class of wireless technology specifically designed for low-power IoT applications, combining lower cost, broader coverage and better battery life with globally available and secure cellular networks.
“The utility meter market in Japan is very advanced and has ultra-low power consumption and stringent security requirements”, said Ilan Reingold, VP of Business Development and Marketing for Altair. Sierra’s HL78 modules are excellently suited to meet these needs, Reingold added.
AirPrime (R) HL78, featuring Altair’s ALT1250 chipset, provides LTE-M connectivity with superior power performance and unlimited firmware over-the-air updates.
Sierra Wireless’ modules provide exceptional low-power performance, allowing smart gas meters to consume so little electricity that they will be able to perform two-way telecommunication for about 10 years on three 2,400mA industrial batteries, said Hiroyuki Kimura, Deputy General Manager of IoT Business Development Division at KDDI. “The extended coverage provided by our LTE-M network will allow LP gas service providers to reach more of the Japanese market,” Kimura added.
Sierra Wireless’ HL78 modules give system integrators like KDDI scalable, lowest power module platform for LPWA designs, said Dan Schieler, Senior Vice President and General Manager of OEM Solutions at Sierra Wireless. “We’re excited to be working with KDDI on this large-scale LTE-M deployment in the utility market and to support them as the first MNO in the world to complete interoperability testing with HL78.”