5G IoT chip maker Sequans has introduced a chipset platform optimised for 5G broadband IoT devices. Taurus 5G NR is for fixed wireless access, portable hotspots, mobile computing, video surveillance, and high-end industrial IoT. It has been purpose built for 2 Gbps 5G broadband speeds, and is designed for price-sensitive 5G applications.

Taurus supports sub 6 GHz (FR1) radio in both standalone and non-standalone 5G NR with 4G LTE fallback. It features a dedicated dual-core application processor with high-speed interfaces, including native Ethernet, to support a range of IoT customer applications. The Taurus portfolio includes chipset and modules, with reference designs for fast time to market and design flexibility.

Taurus 5G NR main features include: 3GPP Release 17; FR1: 600-7125 MHz; SA, NSA, and CA for worldwide deployment; LTE fallback for smooth migration from LTE to 5G; SoC with dual-core APU for smart edge applications and integrated routers, and high speed interfaces including native Ethernet.

Applications for Taurus 5G NR include: residential fixed wireless access; enterprise and private networks; portable hotspots; mobile computing; smart building; smart city and high end industrial IoT.

“With our new Taurus platform, we are addressing the exact needs of the 5G broadband IoT industry,” said Bertrand Debray, EVP, Broadband IoT, Sequans. “Taurus provides all the capabilities expected for the support of enhanced broadband services, but it is tailored to fit the requirements of today’s most in-demand broadband IoT applications, thus enabling a cost-effective solution for the mass market.”

“Initial 5G IoT uses came as no surprise: automotive, and fixed wireless terminals and gateways–namely, high bandwidth applications that can reuse chips originally developed for smartphones,” said Jamie Moss, Research Director, ABI Research. “But the rest of the IoT needs 5G silicon that has been acutely optimised: simpler, more efficient, more affordable, and not merely cut down or hobbled versions of higher performance chips. Economies of efficiency and effectiveness are intensely resource sensitive, and only fit-for-purpose designs can unlock the mass market potential for 5G in the IoT. Sequans’ Taurus is a 5G chip developed solely for broadband IoT, and with these optimisations as guiding principles. According to ABI Research, annual shipments for broadband IoT modules, containing the chips used in IoT devices, will grow to 217 million units globally by 2027.”

“Taurus 5G is a cutting-edge modem SoC perfectly dimensioned for broadband IoT,” said Debray. “It makes popular 5G broadband IoT devices more affordable, enabling mass deployment.”

Taurus 5G NR will begin sampling in Q4 2023.