u-blox launches new LTE Cat 1bis cellular modules

18th June 2024

u-blox

Paige West

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u-blox announced an expansion of its R10 product range to address the rapidly growing LTE Cat 1bis cellular connectivity market.

Analyst firm Techno Systems Research Co., Ltd predicts LTE Cat 1bis will account for 43.6% of all non-handset cellular devices by 2029, making it the leading cellular technology for the Internet of Things (IoT) over the next four to five years. The new modules bolster u-blox’s LTE Cat 1bis portfolio, catering to both IoT applications and users transitioning from legacy 2G/3G cellular connectivity.

The new u-blox LEXI-R10 Global offers an ultra-compact 16 x 16mm LTE Cat 1bis solution for worldwide use in size-constrained IoT applications such as people or pet trackers and wearables. It is the world’s smallest single-mode LTE Cat 1bis module with indoor location capabilities and a US MNO certified core.

Additionally, the new SARA-R10 series extends the capabilities of the LEXI-R10 Global to u-blox’s popular SARA form factor. With the ongoing phase-out of 2G and 3G networks globally, the SARA-R10 provides product designers using 2G and 3G u-blox SARA modules with a straightforward upgrade path to 4G LTE, the most widely available global cellular standard for the foreseeable future.

Both the LEXI-R10 and SARA-R10 offer the option to embed an eSIM and include an integrated Wi-Fi Sniffer, which provides indoor localisation via the u-blox CellLocate service based on both Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

One notable variant, the SARA-R10M10, is the world’s smallest LTE Cat 1bis module with embedded Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), capable of concurrent communication and tracking. This makes it ideal for asset tracking and telematics applications that require continuous connectivity and indoor/outdoor positioning worldwide, thanks to the combination of GNSS, Wi-Fi scanning, and global LTE coverage. This module is also 50% smaller than u-blox’s previous LTE Cat 1bis combo, the LENA-R8M10.

The new u-blox R10 modules provide product designers with a 4G cellular connectivity solution for IoT applications that require medium data rates, global portability, ultra-low power consumption, and compact sizes.

The first samples of the LEXI-R10 Global and SARA-R10 will be available by Q3 2024.