US carrier Verizon is the first carrier to certify Sequans’ LTE-M based Monarch Go modem components. Sprint and Deutsche Telekom have approved its other Monarch-based units. The French chipmaker has also opened a new design centre to develop 5G broadband and critical IoT products, to go alongside its flasghip LTE-M/NB-IoT products for so-called ‘massive IoT’ installations.
The Monarch Go is based on the French chip-maker’s Monarch-based GM01Q module. It comes with an optimized LTE antenna, a ThingSpace-enabled IoT SIM from Verizon, plus optional GPS (as the Monarch Go-GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and Bluetooth capabilities.
Verizon called Monarch Go an “industry-first, game-changing IoT accelerator”, which reduces time-to-market and removes risk for customers. “It just works; our partners appreciate this tremendously,” it said. The device can be activated by selecting a ThingSpace IoT connectivity plan. The Monarch Go family of devices is available in the US via distributor Avnet, with global availability to follow this year.
Meanwhile, Verizon-rival Sprint in the US is the latest carrier to certify the Monarch-based GM01Q module, as well as Sequans’ Monarch system-in-package (SiP). Deutsche Telekom in Germany has also certified the GM01Q, along with the original dual-mode LTE-M/NB-IoT Monarch chip. The certifications mean IoT devices built using Monarch chips and modules will interoperate with their networks.
The GM01Q module includes the Monarch chip, an LTE-optimized transceiver, a complete radio front-end for global LTE bands, and key interfaces. It contains all elements for a “complete LTE modem system”, its maker says. It is available in a 20mm x 21mm x 1.5 mm land grid array (LGA) package, designed for asset trackers, and smart home and smart city devices.
Functionally similar, the Monarch SiP is co-developed with Skyworks Solutions, as the “smallest and thinnest LTE connectivity solution” on the market. It measures 8.8mm x 10.8mm x 0.95 mm, and is designed for space constrained IoT devices such as healthcare wearables and personal trackers. It has a sulfate-tolerant packaging for harsh environmental conditions in water and gas smart meter installations.
Both devices provide full support for power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) to enable the long battery, and they provide 23 dBm Tx power with the enhanced coverage modes necessary to extend coverage for deep-indoor and remote deployments.
Sequans has also opened a new design centre in Israel to accelerate 5G product development, it said. The new team in Israel is focused on 5G broadband and critical IoT products, to go alongside its LTE-M and NB-IoT based massive IoT products, which include its flagship Monarch and Calliope platforms.
The 5G products Sequans is readying for production include a 5G-compliant version of its Monarch 2 LTE-M/NB-IoT chip for the massive IoT market, and its forthcoming Taurus 5G chip, for the broadband and critical IoT markets.
