Encore Networks, a leading manufacturer of wireline, cellular, and satellite VPN routers, today announced that their EN family of routers are certified by Verizon for use on their Category 1 LTE network announced on December 1, 2015.

Verizon is the world’s first carrier to offer CAT1 LTE network capabilities for IoT user equipment. CAT1 LTE provides a migration path for customers with existing 2G M2M/IoT deployments to move from slow speed and high latency 2G to 10Mbps with 4G CAT1 LTE with lower costs and power consumption. CAT1 LTE devices are a more affordable and transportable alternative to other technologies.

Before LTE, 2G dominated M2M and IoT applications such as kiosks, VoIP, digital signage, business continuity, point-of-sale and ATM’s. 2G, however, requires more radio spectrum per bit transmitted than LTE. Carriers are re-farming their spectrum from 2G to 4G to help meet the soaring demand for data services. CAT1 LTE is a resource-efficient use of that spectrum for lower speed IoT and M2M devices that can seamlessly coexist with faster, higher-category LTE connections on the same cell towers.

“There is an excitement developing around the availability of CAT1technology using LTE. Working with Verizon, and utilizing the Sequans chipset, we are able to bring to market the industry’s first CAT1 routers,” stated Peter Madsen, President of Encore Networks. “The upside, of course, is the significant growth of shipments of IoT and M2M devices ultimately making CAT1 LTE the preferred M2M technology for IoT.”