Long Term Evolution Category 1 (LTE CAT 1) is a well-known LTE standard, which is widely used in the global Internet of Things communication industry. Launched by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) (Release 8) in 2008 for the Internet of Things, it has seen significant growth since its launch.LTE Cat 1 is popular because of its wide coverage and low cost. LTE Cat 1 is designed for feature-rich IoT applications and is now recognized as an indispensable connectivity technology. LTE CAT 1 uses dynamic systems that are technologically superior and globally deployable to deliver the best IoT solutions on a global scale.In other words, LTE CAT 1 can be called a specific variant of LTE IoT, which makes IoT networks more intelligent.
• Medium speed LTE standard
• Designed for IoT and M2M communications
• Adequate upstream and downstream data speed
• For bandwidth-intensive IoT applications
• Superior architectural penetration
• Low latency (50 to 100ms)
• More efficient data transfer
• Upstream (5Mb/s) and Downstream (10Mb/s)
• Backward compatible with 3G and 2G
• Optimized power consumption extends battery life (up to 5 years)
• Supports low-power standby and sleep model
• Supports full-duplex FDD/TDD and VoLTE (Voice over LTE)
• Indoor coverage
• Voice support
• Mobile support
• Remote control equipment
• Ultra-low cost
• Easy to use
LTE CAT 1 is used in a variety of applications
• Automation/Traffic: Helps monitor vehicles and various parameters, diagnostic information, mileage, location, engine usage, fleet management, electric scooters, etc.
• Security: Video surveillance, traffic cameras, streaming high-quality video, home surveillance, low-end/cloud-based cameras, voice over LTE support
• Mobile medical alert system, outpatient monitoring, predictive maintenance. Ideal for ATMs, vending machines, smart grids, asset tracking, electricity meters, wireless payments, smart wearables. Push to talk over cellular.
As we all know, LTE CAT M/LTEM/eMTC (version 13, where "M" stands for machine) launched by 3GPP in 2017 is a low-cost machine-type communication protocol or a simple LTEM protocol, which is mainly used to enhance the communication between machines. This technology is relatively new and is in the stage of development. It is specially designed for machine-to-machine communication and Internet of Things. In practice, it is designed to support the mobility of higher throughput devices and provides:
• Low latency (10-15 microseconds)
• 1Mbps upstream and downstream
• VoLTE support
• Up to 10 years of battery life
It is also used in IoT platform devices.
Both technologies have proven to be optimal for IoT and M2M communications. Based on usage and coverage, users can make their own choices.
CAT 1 and CAT M Base Data
