#005: The Current Realities of Cellular IoT

Coredump Sessions · 19 Mar 2025 · 59m · Episode 6

What this episode covers

Fabien Korheim, Head of Global Products Strategy at ONES, and Chris Coleman, CTO of Memfault, discuss the current state of cellular IoT, emphasizing the operational advantages of MVNOs over traditional MNOs for global deployments. They analyze the trade-offs between NB-IoT and LTE-M, noting LTE-M as the current safe bet for low-power applications, while 5G RedCap is positioned as a future alternative. The conversation highlights the untapped potential of cellular in consumer devices, such as baby monitors and pet trackers, to reduce setup friction and returns, and details critical debugging strategies involving observability, module selection, and firmware practices.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 42m

    Cellular IoT Best Practices | Teal's Robert Hamblet & Red Bison's Rob Tiffany | Internet of Things Podcast

    Robert Hamblet, CEO of Teal, and Rob Tiffany, Chief Product Officer at Red Bison, discuss cellular IoT adoption best practices, emphasizing the critical need for flexibility and optionality in connectivity choices. They explain how eSIM and the emerging iSIM standards allow device makers to switch carriers remotely, avoiding the pitfalls of locked-in embedded SIMs and ensuring global compliance. The conversation covers the technical evolution from LTE to 5G RedCap, the importance of low-latency edge computing, and the pragmatic decision-making required when choosing between cellular, Wi-Fi, and other protocols for specific use cases.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 31m

    Altair Semiconductor's Dima Feldman | Cellular’s Role and Future in IoT

    Dima Feldman, VP of product management and marketing at Altair Semiconductor, discusses the specific requirements and advantages of cellular IoT compared to consumer smartphones. He explains how features like enhanced coverage allow devices to operate in areas with weak signals and highlights the shift toward eSIM integration to reduce size and cost. Feldman also analyzes the global readiness of LTE-M and NB-IoT networks, noting strong deployment in North America and Europe but ongoing reliance on 2G in emerging markets.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 4m

    What Is Cellular IoT? | #IoTExplained E006

    Ryan Chacone, editor-in-chief of IoT For All, explains the fundamentals of cellular IoT, distinguishing it from non-cellular LPWAN technologies like LoRa and Sigfox. He details the two primary cellular standards for IoT: LTE-M for higher bandwidth and real-time applications, and NB-IoT for low-power, low-data scenarios in areas with GSM infrastructure. The discussion also covers the transformative potential of 5G for industrial and consumer IoT applications.

  • Moore's Lobby · 47m

    5G and IoT: What Will It Take for Them to Get Along?

    Thomas Keller, Director of Platforms and Core Technology at u-blox, discusses the challenges of integrating low-power IoT devices with 5G networks. He explains that while 5G was designed for high capacity and low latency, the industry currently relies on LTE-based technologies like Cat M1 and NB-IoT for IoT, with 'RedCap' (Reduced Capability) devices emerging as a transitional 5G standard. Keller highlights the tension between network operators needing to support legacy LTE infrastructure and the long-term shift to 5G Standalone, noting that true low-power 5G IoT optimization will take several specification releases to mature.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 37m

    Scaling Cellular IoT Globally | Onomondo's Henrik Aagard and Anders Buchmann

    Henrik Aagard, CTO, and Anders Buchmann, Commercial Head, of Onomondo discuss their approach to scaling cellular IoT globally. They explain how Onomondo differentiates itself by owning the network infrastructure and offering transparent, data-based pricing rather than legacy subscription models. The conversation covers the technical and commercial challenges of global roaming, the comparison between NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies, and the future of software-based SIMs and cloud integration.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Coredump Sessions. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.