Verizon, Qualcomm Back LTE for Secure Internet of Things

Qualcomm and Verizon said they would partner to connect low power Internet of Things endpoints using Verizon's 4G LTE network.
Qualcomm and Verizon said they would partner to connect low power Internet of Things endpoints using Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

File this one under “Darwinian battle for wireless survival.” Verizon and Qualcomm used the CTIA Super Mobility show in Las Vegas today to unveil plans to use Verizon’s ThingSpace IoT platform as a service with Qualcomm’s LTE modems, with greater security for IoT deployments as a major selling point.

According to an announcement by the companies, Verizon will pre-integrate its ThingSpace within Qualcomm’s MDM9206 Category M (Cat M1) LTE modem. Verizon’s 4G LTE network will become the intended backbone for “building, deploying and managing IoT applications customized for a wide-range of use cases,” according to the statement.

4G networks have widely been perceived as too expensive and overpowered for many IoT deployments, such as low power sensors and single-function or intermittently connected endpoints. The new arrangement is intended to grab some of that low power business back from competing short-range technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zwave and Zigbee, or from low power wide area network (LPWAN) offerings from firms like Senet and SigFox.

Security is also part of the pitch for the combined Verizon and Qualcomm offering.

From the companies:

The collaboration also aims to bring even more sophisticated apps to the forefront such as device security and sensor data visualization…

“Simplicity is a necessary starting point and working across the ecosystem – at the network, platform and application levels – is also needed in order to capture the real market opportunity of the Internet of Things…That’s why solidifying our long-standing relationship with Qualcomm Technologies in this manner to give developers worldwide the tools they need to innovate seamlessly, securely and in a cost-effective structure on 4G LTE combined with our ThingSpace platform, built by Verizon Labs, is an exciting milestone for the industry,” said Mike Lanman, senior vice president Enterprise Products and IoT at Verizon.

Read more here: Verizon and Qualcomm double down on the Internet of Things

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