u‑blox and Atoll Solutions have jointly introduced an IoT Starter Kit based on LTE Cat M1 and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) modules from u‑blox. The starter kit provides the perfect development platform for nodes and gateways based on LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT in India.
With an extensive Smart City program already announced, India’s infrastructure is moving towards low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies to enable Smart Street Lighting and Smart Metering. Supporting both the NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) SARA-N2 and LTE Cat M1/NB1 SARA‑R4 module series from u‑blox, the starter kit will enable the rapid development of IoT solutions, ready for deployment in a Smart Grid. Future development will include complete reference designs incorporating other u‑blox solutions, including Bluetooth Low Energy and GNSS modules.
Many leading cellular operators in India are already offering LTE Cat M1 and NB‑IoT support, with many more about to follow and u-blox thus expects the release will help accelerate the adoption of low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies for Smart Cities and provide OEMs with the tools they need to get to market quickly. Narrowband LTE has the power to add affordable and reliable connectivity to a wide range of assets, creating truly Smart Cities through Smart Lighting and Smart Metering.
u-blox is demonstrating the Starter Kit at the ongoing Automation Expo 2017 from August 9 – 12 in Mumbai, India.