Ubiik, a vendor for AMI and end-to-end private LTE solution, has joined forces with Realtek Semiconductor Corporation, a semiconductor company and a Wi-Fi chip vendor by revenue, to deliver Nimbus 220, an NB-IoT module based on Realtek RTL9518 chipset, and optimised for operation in Upper 700 MHz A Block band. This is an important development for the utility and IoT markets in the US, as the joint development will allow license holders of Band 103 to fully utilise this prime 1 MHz paired spectrum by leveraging advanced features such as non-anchor carriers and Non-IP Data Delivery (NIDD).
After Select Spectrum and Access Spectrum have announced that the Upper 700 MHz A Block is officially designated in 3GPP Release 16 as “NB-IoT Band 103” for 4G and 5G services, Ubiik and Realtek are now partnering on the development of this NB-IoT module allowing Ubiik’s cellular base station goRAN to address current gaps in the North American market for band 103 (787-788 MHz uplink and 757-758 MHz downlink). With NB-IoT using as little as 180 kHz of spectrum, and being able to scale up by utilising multiple carriers simultaneously, companies who are currently utilising this band now have the possibility to add standard-compliant NB-IoT to deliver affordable, long-range connectivity to low-power or low-throughput devices.
“We are excited to collaborate with Realtek in bringing forth Nimbus 220 that supports Band 103,” states Tienhaw Peng, founder and CEO of Ubiik. “This advanced module, when paired with our Ubiik goRAN base station, offers a cost-efficient 3GPP solution for implementing smart grid, AMI, and other IoT applications within the Upper 700MHz spectrum. At Ubiik, we are dedicated to supporting the 3GPP ecosystem and helping our clients fully leverage the capabilities of their IoT investments.”
With this partnership, Ubiik aims to expand its reach in the North American market and provide customers with reliable private LTE connectivity. The module, whose embedded processing unit can support ANSI meters and other applications/protocols, will be launched together with goRAN base stations and showcased at Distributech 2023 booth #1637 in San Diego from February 7th to 9th, 2023.
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