LTE-M network launch and developer challenge
Published: July 1, 2024
Orange has announced the launch of its LTE-M network in France on 8 November 2018, and confirmed the implementation of this IoT-focused technology in two more European countries. LTE-M is a key component to support the widest range of IoT use cases, which is why Orange is already providing developers with new tools and support to start building: the LTE-M Orange Developer Challenge and the LTE-M Starter Kit.
Orange LTE-M network in France and soon beyond
As of 8 November 2018, France has its own Orange LTE-M network already covering 98% of the national population. This comes after the Group’s first LTE-M network launched in Belgium in May 2018. Next on the list are Spain and Romania, where the network is planned for go-live by the end of 2018. These new additions to the Orange network portfolio highlight the progress made in serving the IoT and connected devices markets, further supported by LoRa® technology.
Discover the cover of the Orange LTE-M network in France
Source: Orange Business Services
Giving developers tools to build with LTE-M
Developers have already been able to experiment with LTE-M at the Orange Open IoT Lab. From 8 November until 10 December 2018, the LTE-M Developer Challenge will pit competitors to use this technology to solve real-life use cases provided by French railway operator SNCF. This event is hosted by Orange and supported by SNCF, GSMA, Sierra Wireless and Ericsson.
Discover the winners (article in French).
A dedicated starter kit for LTE-M
Developers partaking in the challenge will have at their disposal, among other tools, a dedicated starter kit that will be sold on the Orange device marketplaces in December 2018. Currently available in pre-order, this kit includes:
- the mangOH Red open-source plateform;
- a Sierra Wireless LTE-M module;
- access to the Orange Datavenue Live Objects data management platform.