AT&T Launches First LTE-M Pilots in Mexico for Internet of Things
On Track to Deploy by the End of 2017 to Create North American LTE-M Network; Footprint Expected to Be a Boon for Business Customers
DALLAS, Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* is deploying LTE-M technology across our network in Mexico1. We completed LTE-M pilots in Tijuana and Puebla, Mexico in the third quarter.
We also completed the first LTE-M international data session between the U.S. and Mexico. We believe this was the world's first international data session on LTE-M.
AT&T deployed a nationwide LTE-M network within our 4G LTE network in the U.S. earlier this year. We can now reaffirm plans for deployment across Mexico by the end of 2017. It will create the first North American footprint for technology that promises to connect more "things" than ever before.
"The success of these pilots validates we're on schedule to expand our North American footprint this year," said Carlos Sánchez, chief technology officer for AT&T in Mexico. "The possibilities for business customers on both sides of the border are endless."
LTE-M is a low-power wide-area technology with many advantages over traditional LTE connectivity. They include better coverage deep inside buildings and underground, longer battery life (up to 10 years) and compact module size – as small as a penny. It's ideal for personal wearables, smart meters, asset tracking, security and alarm monitoring, and more.
LTE-M is part of our broad base ecosystem of collaborators, devices and applications for a more connected world.
LTE-M Pilots
The first pilot was held in Tijuana, the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula. Strategically located on the border with the U.S., Tijuana is a key manufacturing, financial and industrial center.
The second pilot was held in Puebla. Located in central Mexico, Puebla is an industrial and technology hub that hosts the automobile industry.
We worked with tech leaders and providers to evaluate performance of the LTE-M network and chipset technology in a variety of situations. We tested LTE-M chipset technology with Qualcomm Technologies and network technology with Ericsson.
First LTE-M International Data Session
In Tijuana, we completed the first international LTE-M data session from our U.S. LTE-M network to our Mexico LTE-M network. This is a big step toward creating a North American footprint. Business customers want the same consistent LTE-M experience across the U.S. and in Mexico that they now have with the AT&T 4G LTE network.
Be sure to check out AT&T's booth at Mobile World Congress Americas, September 12-14, to learn more about how we are shaping the future through IoT innovation.
*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We offer the nation's best data network** and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We're one of the world's largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.
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**Claim based on the Nielsen Certified Data Network Score. Score includes data reported by wireless consumers in the Nielsen Mobile Insights survey, network measurements from Nielsen Mobile Performance and Nielsen Drive Test Benchmarks for Q1 + Q2 2017 across 121 markets.
1 Coverage not available everywhere.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
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