SIMCom, represented locally by Otto Wireless Solutions, has expanded its family of SIM7600, LTE Cat. 1 devices, and is due to unveil a new flagship product, which is expected to take the 4G market by storm.
Originally, the SIM7600E was released as a standalone device, supporting LTE Cat. 1, HSPA+, UMTS, EDGE and GPRS. The device also features a GNSS receiver, supporting GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo. As an all-encompassing solution, the SIM7600E ticked all the right boxes, except for one: its price.
Earlier this year, in response to the perception of an expensive price tag, the SIM7600E-L1C was released, and this module offers comparable features to the parent device, at a reduced price of about 10% below the original SIM7600E. The release of this device has seen significantly more customers move towards LTE Cat. 1, but mass adoption has still not taken place, because even at 10% cheaper, there are still many customers who are paying for features which they simply do not need, and will never use. Consequently, it is still considered an expensive module, particularly for clients who need LTE connectivity, and nothing more.
It is for this reason that the latest member of the family is expected to achieve mass adoption. The device deviates far away from the ‘classic norms’ of modules, and in so doing sets its sights firmly on mass adoption by tracking and telematics companies, as well as IoT companies.
The new device is the A7600E. This is a pure communication module, with no GNSS features. The main innovation is that the device supports LTE Cat. 1, and if LTE connectivity is unavailable, falls straight back to EDGE/GPRS. There is no 3G/HSPA support. It is expected to have no voice capability.
By omitting 3G technology entirely, both hardware and licensing costs are entirely avoided, which sets the stage for the A7600E to be the first true low-cost LTE Cat. 1 module. Having a wide operating temperature (-40⁰C to +85⁰C) also makes the device extremely usable and attractive to a wide variety of potential customers, including, crucially, the vehicle tracking market.
| Tel: | +27 11 791 1033 |
| Email: | wireless@otto.co.za |
| www: | www.otto.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Otto Wireless Solutions |
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