The Squid.link gateways supports a variety of cellular networks. Before choosing a technology, you must carefully consider what your needs are. Your choice of WAN (Wide Area Network) should be shaped by your use case and business requirements.

The Squid.link Gateway supports three options of cellular networks:

• 4G LTE Cat M1 / 2G / NB-IoT
• 4G LTE Cat 1
• 4G LTE Cat 4

4G LTE Cat M1 / 2G / NB-IoT

The Squid.link gateways can be equipped with a cellular module that supports both LTE Cat M1, NB-IoT and 2G. As Cat M1 and NB-IoT are not fully rolled out, the module supports 2G fallback, so it can run on this network until the full roll-out of Cat M1 and NB-IoT. With this option, you can be sure that your devices will stay connected for many years.

LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT are cellular technologies specifically designed for the needs of applications targeted for IoT communications. Data speed for these IoT-specific technologies is relatively low, making them suitable for IoT applications with low to medium data rate needs and focus on energy efficiency.

The benefits of this option include low cost, long battery life, and high connection density. In addition, the device will be able to function on a very low signal.

4G LTE Cat 1

LTE Cat 1 is a medium speed LTE standard designed for more feature-rich applications. With speeds of 10 Mb/s downlink and 5 Mb/s uplink, LTE Cat 1 is ideal for IoT applications that require higher data speeds, including those that involve video streaming and voice support.

Like LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT, LTE Cat 1 will allow you to stay connected for many years ahead.

4G LTE Cat 4 incl. WiFi routing

For even higher data speeds, the 4G LTE Cat 4 supports up to 150 Mb/s downlink and 50 Mb/s uplink. In addition, you will soon be able to get an LTE Cat 4 module with WiFi routing included, which enables sharing of LTE internet connection with all of your other devices, such as TV and Chromecast. A Squid.link Gateway with an LTE Cat 4 module can substitute a WiFi router, so the user gets connection of IoT devices and WiFi routing all in one box. Note that this module is an upcoming product which is not yet available for purchase.

5G

5G is an entirely new core network that will aim to improve wireless connections worldwide and bring the world to a faster, smarter future. In the future, several industries can expect to benefit from the speed and performance capabilities of 5G networks, including Smart Home, Smart Buildings and Security. However, the 5G standard is not yet defined, and the network has not yet been rolled out. When our customers can begin to benefit from using 5G, Develco Products will offer modules that support this network.

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