AT&T's claim based on LTE-M IoT roaming deal with three Canadian operators — Bell Canada, Rogers Communications and Telus.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

September 19, 2019

1 Min Read
O Canada: AT&T Touts 'Largest LTE-M Footprint in the World'

AT&T has partnered with Bell Canada, Rogers Communications and Telus to roam across the combined operators' Cat M 4G cellular IoT networks in North America.

AT&T says the roaming deal creates "the largest LTE-based Cat M footprint in the world." It follows a similar roaming deal AT&T struck in June with KPN, Orange and Swisscom to roam on Cat M in the US and continental Europe. AT&T initially launched its Cat M LTE network in the US two years ago. Its NB-IoT service followed in April 2019.

Cat M is a low-power, wide-area (LPWAN) cellular technology. It does, however, consume more power than LTE-based NB-IoT, with maximum download speeds of 1 Mbit/s for LTE Cat M, versus 284 Kbit/s for NB-IoT. Cat M promises around five years maximum battery life, versus 10-plus years for NB-IoT. Actual battery life for both technologies depends on the how much data each Cat M or NB-IoT device sends out every week, each day or sooner.

Cat M also supports voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology for voice communications. This is what makes Cat M suitable for certain wearables, home security systems and other IoT devices rather than NB-IoT.

AT&T hasn't responded yet to a question about how many customers are using its Cat M network yet. We'll update with any details when they do.

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— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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