Sequans and NTT DOCOMO partner to accelerate adoption of LTE-M technology in Japan
Georges Karam, Sequans CEO
LTE for IoT chipmaker Sequans Communications S.A. has formalised an agreement with NTT DOCOMO, the Japan-based mobile operator, to accelerate the development of LTE-M devices and applications on DOCOMO’s network, using Sequans’ Monarch LTE Platform, the world’s most highly optimised LTE-M chip solution.
The two companies have been working together on LTE for IoT for several years, beginning first with LTE Cat 1 technology, and the goal of this current collaboration is to develop and mature an end-to-end LTE-M ecosystem in Japan.
“We are pleased to extend our longtime and successful partnership with Sequans to address the LTE-M market,” said Toshiyuki Futakata, vice president and general manager of the Communication Device Development Department, NTT DOCOMO.
“The use of Sequans’ Monarch technology will be instrumental for us in reaching our goal of widespread adoption of LTE-M technology across Japan. Sequans is a key player in IoT in Japan and their leading Monarch solution has the key characteristics needed to spur rapid adoption, including low power consumption, low cost, and ease of integration.”
“Working in close collaboration with DOCOMO over the years has yielded excellent results and we look forward to continuing our work together in anticipation of DOCOMO’s LTE-M network launch,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “DOCOMO has everything in place to serve its IoT customers well and we are proud that our Monarch technology will be a key part of DOCOMO’s LTE for IoT solutions.”
Monarch is claimed to be the industry’s best integrated LTE Cat M1/NB1 chip, whereby baseband, RF transceiver, power management, and RAM memory are integrated into a single, tiny 6.5 x 8.5 mm package. Monarch is fully compliant with the 3GPP’s Release 13 definitions for narrowband LTE (LTE-M and NB-IoT).
In addition, Monarch supports advanced features such as programmable RF filtering for global band support in a single SKU, and proprietary dynamic power management technology for ultra low power consumption and operating life of 10+ years.
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