Qualcomm LTE modems prepare for IoT revolution

In anticipation of the wide adoption of ‘connected’ devices, Qualcomm announced recently two new LTE modems designed to bring 4G mobile speed to a wide variety of smart products.

The first modem, MDM9207-1, is "purpose-built for IoT applications," according to the company, which include "smart metering, security, asset tracking, wearables, point-of-sale and industrial automation." The second modem MDM9206, on the other hand, is a narrowband modem meant to help control costs by being used for applications requiring low data consumption and less power.

Already the dominant mobile chip maker, Qualcomm is vying to become the premier player in the nascent IoT market. Since the world of always-on and -connected everyday appliances is still a ways off, it can be difficult to imagine what kinds of changes can be realized with this technology. Qualcomm tries to make it easy. The company gives the example of water meters, which are long-term investments since they tend to have long life cycles. Qualcomm says its new 9207-1 modem is ideal for this kind of device because of its low-data rate and low power consumption. Additionally, it allows the meter to sense when it is not sending information so it can switch into power-saving mode. Qualcomm estimates that such a device would be able to transmit water usage information for 7 to 10 years before needing to be replaced.

Mobile cellular service, meanwhile, is expected to play a larger role in the future of ‘connected’ devices. Much of that market currently connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi connections, but using a local Wi-Fi network is more limited in terms of range compared with LTE. A report from IHS Technology projects revenues related to smart cities for mobile operators will jump from $5.7 billion last year to $25.4 billion in 2020.