Ericsson partnered with AT&T and chipset provider Altair to demonstrate the LTE Power Saving Mode on commercial LTE Internet of Things (IoT) chipset platform at the on-going GSMA Mobile 360 Series - North America. The demonstration runs on Ericsson networks and Altair's FourGee-1160 Cat 1 chipset featuring ultra-low power consumption.
Long-term battery life has become a prerequisite for a vast number of IoT applications. Many IoT devices are not located near a power source and depend on battery power for long-duration operation. With the sheer number of connected IoT devices, the cost of going out into the field to replace batteries isn't viable. Many modules need to be "fit and forget," without any need for maintenance or replacement over the lifetime of the device or application.
According to Ericsson, Power Saving Mode is an Ericsson Evolved Packet Core feature based on 3GPP (Release 12) for both GSM and LTE networks. The vendor claims that the feature will be able to dramatically extend IoT device battery life up to ten years or more for common use cases and traffic profiles.
Thomas Norén, Vice President and Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson
Ericsson is effectively addressing the challenge of battery life with a software-only upgrade to existing LTE networks. Ongoing standardization of low-power, low-cost LT E modules and devices specifically targeted at IoT applications will fuel stronger growth in the LTE segment. AT&T and Ericsson are committed to LTE for IOT and jointly supported a recent 3GPP work-item for NB-IoT targeted for inclusion in 3GPP Release 13 in 2016 for ultra-low cost applications.
Cameron Coursey, Vice President, Product Development, AT&T's IoT Organization
Whether a trucking company hauls expensive cargo across the country or a restaurant transports fresh food overseas, a long battery life on their connected devices can help them provide continuous service. Businesses can save money and become more efficient with battery replacements every few years rather than very few months.
