Verizon said that it will launch the first nationwide commercial 4G LTE Category M1 (or Cat M1) network, which spans 2.4 million square miles.
Verizon's Cat M1 network is built on a virtualized cloud environment which enables rapid and agile IoT solution deployment and nationwide scaling aimed at increasing IoT adoption for developers and businesses with new and more economical IoT data plans.
A game-changer for the industry, Cat M1 is a new class of LTE chipset that is designed for sensors. They require less power, offer extended battery life and support an array of use cases ranging from water meters to asset trackers to consumer electronics.
In collaboration with industry-leading partners, Verizon has enabled an open ecosystem for Cat M1 that includes infrastructure providers and manufacturers of chipsets, modules and devices. Verizon's Cat M1 partners include industry leaders including Sequans, Telit, U-Blox, Sierra Wireless, Gemalto, Qualcomm Technologies, and Altair, who together with Verizon are solving for the next generation of IoT use cases.
Today, Verizon offers certified chipsets, modules and devices for Cat M1 from Sequans, Telit, Qualcomm Technologies, Encore Networks, Link Labs, and NimbeLink. Cat M1 paired with Verizon's ThingSpace Platform and ThingSpace Client enable seamless and secure development, management and deployment of IoT solutions ThingSpace is Verizon's global, web-based IoT platform that enables developers and customers to create new IoT solutions and manage their IoT environments end-to-end from the device to the application level.
Mike Lanman, SVP, Business Products and IoT, Verizon
By launching this network with a fresh set of connectivity rate options, we're not only continuing to lead the way for IoT, but we're also enabling true scalability from millions to billions of IoT devices in a simple, secure manner and at a reduced cost to connect, all on America's most reliable LTE network.
