Series 17 – Episode 9 – going the distance with cellular IoT

Birkenes outlined Nordic Semiconductor’s role in cellular IoT, highlighting its focus on low-power, monolithic connectivity solutions for consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets. While Nordic has long dominated the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) market, it is now expanding rapidly into cellular IoT. “We are scaling and growing this business very fast,” he noted.

Discussing the state of cellular IoT, Birkenes acknowledged that while the technology offers a reliable, global, and secure network, adoption has been slower than that of Wi-Fi or BLE due to cost and complexity. However, this is changing: “We are bringing the overall cost of cellular connectivity down and making it super easy for customers to start using it.” Unlike Wi-Fi, cellular IoT eliminates the need for manual network configurations, offering seamless, out-of-the-box connectivity.

The conversation then shifted to NTN, which is becoming a crucial requirement for cellular IoT. Traditional cellular networks have relied on 2G as a fallback, but with 2G being phased out worldwide, NTN provides a new solution. “For IoT, especially in asset tracking and metering, you want true global connectivity. That’s where NTN comes in,” Birkenes explained. NTN enables satellite connectivity, ensuring coverage in remote areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable.

Integrating NTN into IoT products presents technical challenges, but Nordic is simplifying the process. Birkenes highlighted the company's pre-certified modules, such as the nRF9151, which include complete software stacks to streamline deployment. “Everything we do is focused on making it easy for customers to use,” he said.

One key use case for NTN-enabled IoT is asset tracking. Traditionally, tracking solutions lose visibility when shipments move across oceans or into remote regions. NTN overcomes this limitation: “Now, we can enable connectivity throughout the entire journey,” Birkenes said. Safety applications, such as wearables for hikers or remote workers, also benefit from NTN, ensuring reliable communication in isolated locations.

Industries set to benefit the most from advances in long-range IoT include asset tracking, metering, and Industrial IoT. “As costs come down, even lower-cost assets can be tracked,” Birkenes noted. Additionally, utilities are moving from proprietary networks to cellular solutions to reduce operational expenses. Industrial applications, from remote sensors to predictive maintenance systems, are also driving growth.

Looking ahead, Birkenes predicted a surge in cellular IoT adoption as costs decline. “We see an explosion of new applications moving to cellular,” he said. With NTN gaining traction and solutions like the NRF9151 advancing, cellular IoT is poised for significant growth in the coming years.

To hear more about cellular IoT, you can listen to Electronic Specifier’s interview on Spotify or Apple podcasts.