Global connectivity empowered with new ultra-compact LTE Cat 1bis cellular modules

u-blox has announced an expansion to its popular range of R10 products for the fast-growing LTE Cat 1bis cellular connectivity market. The new modules strengthen the company's LTE Cat 1bis portfolio, serving the IoT and users migrating from legacy 2G/3G cellular connectivity.

The new u-blox LEXI-R10 Global provides an ultra-compact 16mm x 16mm LTE Cat 1bis solution that can be used worldwide 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 an indoor location and a UMNO-certified core.

Meanwhile, the new SARA-R10 series brings the same capabilities as the LEXI-R10 Global to the company's popular SARA form factor. With 2G and 3G sunsets continuing globally, it provides product designers using 2G and 3G SARA modules a straightforward upgrade path to 4G LTE.

The products offer the option to embed an eSIM, and both modules also include an integrated Wi-Fi Sniffer. This supplies Indoor localisation via the u-blox CellLocate service, which is based on both Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

One of the variants is the SARA-R10M10, the world's smallest LTE Cat 1bis module with an embedded GNSS capable of concurrent communication and tracking. Thanks to the blend of GNSS, Wi-Fi scan, and global LTE coverage, it is the ideal solution for asset tracking and telematics applications that demand continuous connectivity as well as indoor and outdoor positioning anywhere in the world. This module is also 50% smaller than the company's previous LTE Cat 1bis combo, the LENA-R8M10.

The new R10 modules give product designers a 4G cellular connectivity solution for IoT applications that need medium data rates, worldwide portability, ultra-low power consumption and compact sizes.