Telit says its ME310G1-W2 is the world’s smallest LTE 450 module to achieve Radio Equipment Directive (RED) certification. This milestone unlocks the commercialisation of the cellular module on LTE 450 networks throughout Europe.

At 15 by 18 by 2.6mm, the ME310G1-W2 LTE-M and NB-IoT device is the smallest module for use in the 450MHz band, which is primarily used in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and automated meter reading (AMR) systems in Europe.

The compact design is also suitable for space-constrained applications such as smart city sensors and smart agriculture monitors.

The PSM power saving mode and eDRX extended discontinuous reception increase battery life, a key requirement for AMI, AMR and other IoT applications.

The module has features designed to ensure reliable connectivity, including 26dBm output power in the 450MHz band and a maximum coupling loss of up to +15dB/+20dB, which provides better in-building penetration than earlier cellular LTE standards. These features also provide wide area coverage, which can reduce network operating expense and capital expense through lower infrastructure density.

Compatible with 3GPP release 14, the ME310G1-W2 provides existing CDMA 450 deployments with a smooth upgrade path to LTE and builds on Telit’s experience in the 450MHz band, including membership in the 450MHz Alliance. It also leverages Telit’s expertise in the smart energy market, where the company has more than 100 customers worldwide.

“Europe continues to lead the global evolution of the 450MHz band from CDMA to LTE, with eight commercial LTE networks and nine more in trials,” said Gösta Kallner, executive chairman of the 450MHz Alliance. “Telit is playing a key role in enabling this evolution with solutions such as the ME310G1-W2, which provides network operators and their customers with a unique combination of ultra-compact size, reliable connectivity and long battery life.”

In addition to 450MHz band, the module supports the other LTE bands commonly used in Europe and Latin America, enabling seamless roaming between private and public mobile networks.

It simplifies product design with Telit’s AppZone, an embedded application development environment. This allows software developers to leverage the processing resources of the modules to run their application, avoiding the addition of an external MCU and ultimately reducing the total cost of ownership.

The ME310G1-W2 supports OneEdge, Telit’s module-embedded software system with pre-packaged, secure, easy-to-use deployment and management tools. OneEdge simplifies design, deployment and management of IoT products.

“As the world’s smallest RED-certified module for LTE 450, the ME310G1-W2 is the latest example of how Telit provides device OEMs, system integrators, service providers and end users with peace of mind that their devices will perform as expected,” said Marco Stracuzzi, head of product marketing at Telit. “As a result, they’re free to focus on leveraging all the benefits that LTE brings to IoT, including greater power efficiency, better coverage and lower infrastructure costs.”

As a member of Telit’s xE310 family, the ME310G1-W2 enables OEMs, integrators and IoT device vendors to leverage their existing designs as they expand into the 450MHz market or as they migrate their legacy 2G products to LTE 450. The xE310 heritage also allows for global frequency coverage and the integration into small-footprint IoT devices.