Ericsson on Tuesday announced new IoT Networks Software 16B promising to accelerate the uptake of IoT.

What IoT Networks Software 16B promises?

# cuts device cost by 60 percent compared to Category 4
# 10-year battery life for IoT devices
# Device Power-saving Mode for LTE & GSM
# 20 dB improvement leading to 7-fold extension in the range of low-rate applications

Ericsson said the new IoT software supports LTE Category 0 with half-duplex operation in FDD, which effectively limits functionality and capability to those specifically required for IoT applications, such as large-scale sensor and smart meter deployments. This reduced complexity cuts device cost by 60 percent compared to Category 4.

Two new software upgrades for energy efficiency from Ericsson will ensure 10-year battery life for IoT devices, one of the goals for 5G.

Device Power-saving Mode for LTE & GSM is a new device power-saving capability that introduces a deep sleep state, while Extended Discontinuous Reception (DRX) for GSM extends the sleep cycles in inactive mode.

Ericsson said extended coverage software for GSM delivers a 20 dB improvement leading to 7-fold extension in the range of low-rate applications. This enables the usage of IoT applications in remote locations and deep within buildings underground.

“We are committed to working with key IoT companies to support innovations that enhance the day-to-day lives of our consumer and business customers,” said Alain Maloberti, senior vice president Orange Labs Networks, Orange.

There are already more than 230 million cellular machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions for IoT devices, but certain challenges have limited the potential for large-scale adoption across a variety of use cases.

The cost of IoT devices, device battery life, and cellular coverage in both remote areas and deep inside buildings are the challenges for IoT.

“Our ambition is to set the pace for mobile networks, so we are already proactively building toward 5G technology, which will include an evolution of today’s LTE and innovations driven by new IoT use cases,” said Park Jin-hyo, head of Network R&D Center, SK Telecom

Intel is helping clear the path for IoT’s rapid growth through its research and development of new technologies, and by working closely with ecosystem partners.

Gartner predicts that IoT will provide a $1.9 trillion increase in value across sectors in 2020.

Baburajan K
[email protected]