Vancouver-based national telecom service provider Telus has announced that its LTE-M network is officially live across Canada.
Subscribers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and “major centres in Manitoba” will be able to connect to the carrier’s low-power LTE network for internet of things (IoT) devices.
Long Term Evolution Category M1 — or LTE-M — is a category of 4G network technology specifically designed for use by IoT devices, including agricultural sensors and even smartwatches.
Not only is LTE-M faster than 2G and 3G, but it also enables low-power devices to operate for lengthy periods of time without needlessly draining battery.
“Telus is committed to empowering the IoT ecosystem in Canada, from providing connectivity with a world-class LTE-M network to supporting the companies and developers that will create the innovative IoT solutions of the future,” said Michael Cihra, Telus vice president of IoT, in an October 25th, 2018 media release.
“Telus’s network provides the most comprehensive LTE-M coverage in Canada, allowing for endless possibilities for IoT applications.”
According to the same October 25th media release, Telus’s LTE-M network is designed to be compatible with as-of-yet-unannounced 5G technologies.
Telus is selling an LTE-M starter kit that the carrier says “will enable developers and tech companies to rapidly prototype cellular connected IoT devices utilizing Telus’s LTE-M network.”
The starter kit provides developers with the base technology they need to collect data, connect to Telus’s LTE-M network and use Microsoft Azure to manage and analyze collected data.
The carrier is also selling a ready-made LTE-M asset monitor that can collect location, motion and temperature ready.
Telus’s LTE-M announcement comes roughly one week after Toronto-based national carrier Rogers announced plans to launch its own LTE-M network in Ontario by the end of 2018.
Rogers’ goal is to have a functioning national LTE-M network by 2020.
Montreal-based national carrier Bell announced in June 2017 plans to launch an LTE-M network sometime in 2018. According to Bell, it’s LTE-M network is now live.
Source: Telus
Update 26/10/2018 2:27pm ET: Story updated to reflect that Bell’s LTE-M network is officially live.
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