Category: Blog

By Scott Fischel, Certification Working Group Chair

The new MFA Private Network Identifier Program

Private networks have been gaining ground as enterprises and industry verticals recognize the benefits of owning, controlling, and innovating with their own network. For manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, maritime, oil and gas, mining and other vertical industries, the benefits include the following:

• Increased coverage – that can extend across an entire facility or industrial site;
• Increased security – by safeguarding the data that runs over the network while maintaining network control on premise;
• Increased productivity – through more automation and remote control;
• Reduced downtime and optimized maintenance costs – by tracking machine health;
• Increased mobility – enabled by seamless handover between small cells; and
• Improved worker safety and well-being.

For these private networks that are enabling business-critical communications, it is essential that only authorized devices connect to the network.

This is where the MFA comes in.

Earlier this year, the ITU awarded MFA with a unique global PLMN ID. As part of our mission to champion the global adoption of private networks based on 3GPP technologies, we are now making these network identifiers available to any industry vertical, network equipment suppliers, and operators through our new Network Identifier program.

This program offers a Private Network ID package and a Neutral Host Network package. Each package includes all of the network identifiers required to create distinct private networks or neutral host networks that can be deployed anywhere in the world. For large deployments, companies have the option to purchase additional identifiers.

Package subscription fees will need to be renewed every two years.

For our member companies, we are pleased to offer complimentary packages based on membership level. Learn about our additional membership benefits here.

Join as a Private Network Subscriber

To help enable industry verticals to get started, we’ve also created a new Private Network Subscriber category that offers non-members access to one free Private Network ID Package. For a one-time fee of $250, our subscribers can leverage a complete package without having to pay a biennial renewal fee.

Got questions about how to get your own Private Network ID or to join MFA? Check out our FAQ or contact our Program Administrator.

By Patrik Lundqvist, Qualcomm

As MFA (MulteFire Alliance) supports the adoption of private 5G, we actively engage with industry experts such as ABI Research to better understand the current market scope and key industry participants.

Below we’ll take a look at specific enterprises that ABI Research found would benefit from MulteFire and 5G NR-U (5G New Radio in Unlicensed) private wireless technology:

Industrial Manufacturing

In the wake of industry 4.0, production processes are becoming more complex and the number of machines and components requiring connectivity are steadily increasing. Because of this, reliability and network availability are of high importance, and 66 percent of manufacturers favor private network deployment scenarios, according to the report.

Use cases include motion control, mobile control panels and process automation. These machinery use cases demand unique low-latency requirements that private 5G networks can provide. Further, private 5G networks will help prevent valuable production losses due to network unavailability. As manufacturers look to address these performance requirements, ABI Research forecasts that the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for private network equipment in industrial manufacturing will grow to US $15.06 billion by 2030.

Ports & Logistics

In shipping ports and logistics environments, the requirements for automating processes are strict, and the operational benefits gained from automating these workflows are large. These processes could include the remote operation of ship loading cranes and real-time operation of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).

Deploying private 5G networks in these environments will strengthen network reliability and help enable the latencies they require. Real-world deployment scenarios, such as the port of Hamburg and the Shanghai Yangshan Port in China prove that automating workflows can reduce port operation costs by 70% and boost the Quality of Service.

Mining & Energy

The mining and energy industry has a particularly hazardous environment. The main benefits of automation are to reduce potential exposures for manual workers and create safer, more efficient workflows. Cellular networks on these sites are used for mission-critical communications, and a simple loss of network signal could cause major disruptions to the entire site’s operations. Consequently, network reliability and availability are of critical importance, and operating a private onsite cellular network will provide confidence in network integrity and performance. ABI Research studies find that the private network equipment market in mining and energy is expected to increase from US $116.86 million in 2020 to US $8.13 billion in 2030.

Realizing the robust opportunity for private 5G, MFA looks forward to supporting 3GPP 5G NR-U technology and offering its expertise to enterprises looking to deploy their own private 5G network.

For a more detailed look at enterprise 5G deployment, spectrum availability and enterprise use cases, we encourage you to read the full ABI Research white paper.

Scott Fischel, MFA Certification Work Group Chair, interviews Luisa Natividad Caro García of DEKRA Testing and Certification, S.A.U.

To support the MulteFire 1.9 GHz (sXGP) Certification Program, the MFA announced its first MFA Authorized Test Lab (ATL) at DEKRA in Yokohama, Japan. In November 2020, the MFA announced that DEKRA’s lab in Malaga, Spain, was the MFA’s second ATL, approved for performing MulteFire 1.0 Certification testing. DEKRA has been an active supporter of the MFA’s efforts to deliver MulteFire technology in unlicensed and shared spectrum bands for private LTE networks and is the world’s largest unlisted expert organization in the TIC (testing, inspection, certification) industry.

We spoke with DEKRA’s Luisa Natividad Caro García (Nati) about the key role certification plays in ensuring industry standards and the certification process for MulteFire 1.0 devices:

What is your professional experience with certification testing?
For more than 20 years, I have been involved in testing and certification activities for various technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE and more, in different capacities including project management and team leader. Currently, as the Wireless Laboratory Manager at DEKRA Testing and Certification, S.A.U., I manage a lab consisting of 17 employees.

Why is a certification program critical for the success of industry standards?
Certification programs play a key role in ensuring devices can successfully interoperate, as manufacturers can implement standards in different ways. Certification programs utilize test labs, such as the DEKRA ATLs, to ensure devices work as expected and to provide the proper guidance if not.

In addition, they can play a large role in expanding an industry standard’s ecosystem. Once vendors certify the first products, this encourages additional vendors to follow suit. In this case, we expect the recently certified Nokia MulteFire 1.0 user equipment to foster growth within the MulteFire ecosystem.

What are the benefits of certifying my device at the DEKRA ATL? Can’t vendors prove specification conformance on their own?
DEKRA’s vast experience with certification testing is unmatched, as we not only offer testing services but provide recommendations on how to solve the potential conformance and interoperability issues. This consulting aspect is particularly beneficial, as opposed to relying on internal testing. In addition, participating in the MulteFire Certification Programs is a crucial step to minimize the risk of issues when products are in the field.
As DEKRA is an official MFA Authorized Test Lab (ATL), vendors with MFA-certified devices can add the MFA logo seal to their products. This offers the end-user assurance that the device will work properly, and in-turn positively influence purchasing decisions.

What is DEKRA’s experience with industry standard certification programs?
DEKRA offers services in a wide variety of aspects related to certification and is present in many key regions offering regulatory, conformance, interoperability, performance, usability and field testing. We have extensive experience in providing consulting services for associations to define their certification program and provide tests for standard development. DEKRA helps to create customized test tools for certification testing and has adapted its existing tools to match MulteFire requirements.

What devices are eligible for MulteFire 1.0 Certification? Is there anything I need to do to prep my device for MulteFire 1.0 Certification testing?
For the MulteFire 1.0 Certification Program, DEKRA tests eNodeB (eNB) radio access network elements and user equipment (UE). We test this combined ecosystem of eNBs and UEs, making sure that the implementation of MulteFire 1.0 standard in the device is correct, according to the current scope of certification defined by the MFA.

Those interested in viewing the detailed requirements for MulteFire 1.0 Certification testing are encouraged to review the project management document as provided by the MFA Certification Work Group. In summary, manufacturers must provide the final hardware, and preferably also the software. It is expected that your devices will be close to final commercialization.

The vendor will provide the corresponding antennas for their devices, the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) in case of eNB certification, as well as the required guidelines to connect their pieces to the ecosystem.

What tests are conducted for MulteFire 1.0 Certification?
The MulteFire 1.0 Certification Program tests for both conformance and interoperability. Conformance testing ensures that devices have properly conformed to the MulteFire 1.0 standard and is done in a lab environment using specialized test equipment to perform RF parametric and protocol testing. Interoperability testing helps to test coexistence with other technologies. Since MulteFire 1.0 technology operates in unlicensed spectrum, it is important to make sure devices implementing MulteFire 1.0 successfully coexist with Wi-Fi and similar technologies.

To test for interoperability, DEKRA checks that the device works with reference implementations in environments that represent typical use cases. This involves checking how UEs interact with eNBs, testing vendor eNBs to a reference UE and vice versa. To determine how the device interacts with Wi-Fi, DEKRA creates data transfers within the Wi-Fi link and MulteFire link and assesses the impact of both.

Does DEKRA and the MFA Certification Work Group have any plans to test for conformance metrics in the future?
Ultimately, our goal is to expand the conformance testing for MulteFire. This expansion could potentially include the use of third-party tools such as Sanjole WaveJudge analyzer to test specific modes and conformance metrics.

How long does certification take?
In accordance with full MFA Certification Work Group (CWG) requirements, certification could take anywhere between one to two weeks, dependent on the availability of reference devices.

What are some common development errors that could be avoided prior to certification testing?
In our experience, manufacturers often do not follow the Technology Specifications in detail when developing the product for testing. The manufacturer should consider the requirements of the technology specifications as well as the certification testing requirements during the design and development stages so that the product under test is more likely to be compliant. Otherwise, when failures are encountered at the certification stage, a re-design will be required to correct those failures, leading to higher costs and delays to time to market.

In addition, the vendor should consider the specific sample preparation requirements that are applicable to the device for the certification programs. Often, we see the vendor does not provide the prepared samples for testing, e.g. without the required RF, power and data connectors/cables, without the needed test modes, or without enabling internal logging. However, it is important to note that the certification scheme should indicate the mandatory sample preparations that must be compiled in order to make a device suitable for certification, or the certification scheme will provide alternate test procedures and/or waivers for devices that cannot comply with such requirements by design.

What if my device doesn’t pass MulteFire 1.0 Certification?
If your device does not pass MulteFire 1.0 certification, the next steps are to identify where the issue is, and DEKRA will help provide consultation to solve this issue. As the MulteFire 1.0 Certification program progresses, this consultation will improve as we gain more experience in MulteFire 1.0 technology testing.
MFA Ecosystem Expansion

The MFA thanks Nati for sharing her experience with DEKRA certification testing and her insight into the importance of certifying devices. We look forward to continuing collaboration with the DEKRA ATLs as the MulteFire ecosystem expands

If you’d like to participate in the MulteFire 1.0 or MulteFire 1.9 GHz Certification programs, please fill out this form to get in touch with the MFA Certification Authority.

By Scott Fischel, MFA Certification Working Group Chair and Director of Technical Standards, Qualcomm

 As a complement to the MulteFire 1.0 Certification Program, the MulteFire Alliance (MFA) is now offering the MulteFire 1.0 Regulatory Analysis White Paper to members. This white paper helps to identify existing radio regulatory requirements for unlicensed devices that may fit with MulteFire 1.0 eNodeB and User Equipment (UE) products.

Vendors beginning the process of developing MulteFire 1.0 products can utilize the white paper to learn about the applicable radio standards and test methods in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) in Canada and the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) in Europe.

The MulteFire 1.0 Regulatory Analysis White Paper includes an overview on MulteFire Specification Release 1.0, regulatory requirements, test procedures and supporting annexes. Readers will gain insight into the MulteFire 1.0 operating frequency bands and channelization, as well as the technical rules for unlicensed devices operating in the 5 GHz band established by FCC, ISED and RED. For any company interested in MulteFire certification, this white paper covers applicable test methods for MulteFire 1.0 devices for the different schemes of certification.

The MulteFire 1.0 Regulatory Analysis white paper demonstrates the MFA’s support for member product certification and launches. MFA aims to aid the certification process by providing the necessary educational documents for product testing and regional regulations. I’d like to thank MFA member company DEKRA for developing the white paper in support of our certification program.

Access to the regulatory white paper is one of many MFA membership benefits. If you are interested in learning  more about membership, I encourage you to request a membership package.

Current MFA members can download the white paper on the MFA site here.

By Asimakis Kokkos

The telecom industry has rallied behind 5G and its promise of 10x faster speeds (10Gbps peak data rates, 100Mbps whenever needed), 10x quicker response times (less than 1ms latency) and ultra-reliability. This July, 3GPP completed its Release 16 specification, marking a significant milestone in expanding 5G capabilities, deployments and use cases. 3GPP Release 16 expands the 5G New Radio (NR) framework set in Release 15, and it caters to a wider range of industries in addition to mobile broadband, with enhanced vertical focuses including public safety, automotive and industrial communications.

Significantly, Release 16 adds support for 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum, both licensed assisted and standalone modes, referred to as 5G NR-U. The expansion of 5G NR to unlicensed spectrum paves the way for future proliferation and adoption of 5G technology; specifically, standalone NR-U enables 5G to be deployed via small cell deployments and operated by any vertical end user without requiring licensed spectrum. This update will allow 5G New Radio technology to leverage the 5 GHz global band as well as the 6 GHz band, significantly increasing the spectrum reach of 5G. In addition to adding support for 5G NR-U, Release 16 addresses industrial IoT use cases particularly through the inclusion of enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency (eURLLC) features that are required for successful and efficient IoT deployments. These are both low-power wide-area technologies intended to increase capacity and coverage, which are needed for IoT deployment scenarios.

MFA (MulteFire Alliance) has based MulteFire technology on proven 3GPP standards, building on Releases 13 and 14. It is in active support of 3GPP 5G NR-U standalone standardization specified in Release 16, with overlapping members actively contributing to the technology’s development. With these efforts, MFA aims to significantly lower the hurdles for enterprises and industry verticals to deploy their own private 5G networks and enable them to take advantage of the cost benefits of unlicensed spectrum. As 5G technology propels forward, MFA is eager to promote and support 3GPP 5G NR-U standardization and enhance this technology to bring 5G performance benefits to industrial IoT.

 

By György Wolfner, End-to-End Architecture Working Group Chair

When you’re at your local coffee shop or at the airport waiting for your flight, it’s common to want to connect to an on-premises hotspot configured as a neutral host network (NHN). But how can you be sure that the service you’re connecting to is secure and is being delivered by a trusted service provider?

To assure MulteFire network security in NHNs, the MFA is pleased to announce that MulteFire small cell vendors can now apply for a MulteFire Online Sign-Up (OSU) Server Certificate. The certificate defines legitimate service providers and prevents subscribers from connecting to fraudulent base stations (hotspots) deployed by malicious actors. For MulteFire hotspots to provide data services via an OSU system, vendors must have a MulteFire OSU Server Certificate signed by a MulteFire Trust Root Certificate.

MulteFire technology can be deployed as a private wireless network or as a neutral host network (NHN). In a neutral host environment, small cells are deployed to provide wireless connectivity service to subscribers of various service providers. NHNs can be deployed as special purpose private networks in isolated environments (such as mines, cruise ships, private enterprise, restaurants, hotels), venues or public spaces such as city parks, providing service to subscribers of multiple service providers or enterprises.

MFA Launches Public Key Infrastructure with Trust Root Certificate

 Leveraging the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Hotspot 2.0 Specification, the MFA has defined a system, architecture and specification, referred to as a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), for using digital certificates to secure MulteFire neutral host hotspot access. To achieve this milestone, the MFA collaborated with Comarch to set up a Trust Root computer vault located at Comarch’s data center in Krakow. To prove that a vendor is legitimate, the vendor can get a MulteFire OSU Server Certificate signed by the Trust Root Certificate stored in Comarch’s data center. This MFA PKI system provides a level of security, confirming that vendors deploying MFA neutral host networks are authorized by the MFA Certificate Authority.

MulteFire OSU Server Certificate Open to Members and Non-Members

Companies deploying the MulteFire hotspots as well as the companies developing the hotspots will need the OSU Server Certificate, meaning that both MFA members and non-members are able to apply. To begin the process, vendors must determine an Authorized Security Representative (ASR). This ASR will provide information and references to the MFA Certificate Authority and request for the certificate to be signed.

Learn More

Those interested in learning more about the MulteFire OSU Server Certificate, Trust Root Certificate and Certificate Authority are encouraged to visit our MulteFire Online Sign Up (OSU) Certificate overview page and FAQ page.

Have questions? To get in touch with the Certificate Authority and begin your application for a MulteFire OSU Server Certificate, please fill out this form.

Visit our Resource page for white papers, presentations and videos that will provide more details on MulteFire deployment scenarios.

By Mazen Chmaytelli, MulteFire Alliance President

As the world grapples with the impacts of COVID-19 upon our everyday lives and social distancing becomes the norm, the case for automation in the workplace becomes more business-critical than ever.  Automation in factories, ports, and other industrial IoT venues will require a robust wireless connectivity that is made possible by the MulteFire Alliance.

MulteFire technology takes cellular-based technology and defines it in unlicensed and shared spectrum. This lets business owners easily create, own and deploy their own private LTE-based wireless network and gives their in-house IT department more control over the network and its operations. According to Gareth Owen, Associate Research Director at Counterpoint Research, MulteFire “will be a critical enabler allowing enterprises to deploy LTE private networks without the involvement of an MNO in unlicensed regional and global spectrum bands.” MulteFire operates in the global unlicensed 5 GHz band so it can be deployed everywhere in the world, in every market, without having to deal with the complexities of negotiations with regulators in every jurisdiction.

For business-critical scenarios, LTE technology offers the security, high-performance, reliability and low latency requirements needed for day-to-day operations. Businesses are beginning to see the value of private LTE technology as it enables automation, increases efficiency and improves worker safety for industrial verticals, such as mines and factories, that connect heads-up cameras, autonomous vehicles, advanced machinery, smart connected tools, wearable sensors and protective equipment.

An RnRMarketResearch report found that private LTE networks are becoming the preferred approach to deliver wireless connectivity for critical communications, industrial IoT, enterprise and public venues. Its research predicts private LTE networks will continue an upward trajectory, with a CAGR growth rate of 19% between 2020 and 2023. Similarly, Global Market Insights’ research report found that the private LTE network market size is expected to surpass $19 billion by 2026. These numbers have been echoed by many industry experts and reports.  Our industry liaison partner, the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), released a recent report that is tracking developments and progress of private LTE and 5G networks.

With the current boom of the private LTE market, the MulteFire Alliance looks forward to continuing to enable its members and the industry to implement private LTE and 5G based solutions. With added spectrum support in the latest MulteFire 1.1 specification, the MulteFire Alliance will continue to provide a secure, scalable solution for private wireless deployments across the globe for business-critical use cases.

 

 

By Christian Wagner, m3Connect

According to Gartner, there will be 25 billion connected devices by 2021. The interest in better connectivity within the wireless industry focuses on the need to support this rising number of connected devices which continue to demand an increasing amount of faster data rates and lower latency. Organizations are searching for solutions that can support this influx of data-demanding device use. MulteFire achieves this by providing the benefits of LTE (security, reliability, expanded coverage and capacity) in the unlicensed band. In order to promote MulteFire technology, members travel the world, attending industry events and engaging with end users, potential members and more.

We recently attended the industry-leading event, Industry of Things World Europe, in historic Berlin. This event brought together industry leaders and organizations alike to discuss the future of the wireless connectivity industry for a scalable, secure and efficient IoT. This was the MulteFire Alliance’s second time at Industry of Things World Europe and we were excited to once again connect with end users, partners and more to collaborate on how we can continue to support the evolution of IoT and beyond.

I had the pleasure of speaking on behalf of the MulteFire Alliance during the event. My session, titled “MulteFire – LTE-based Technology for Unlicensed Spectrum,” included an introduction that highlighted how MulteFire technology enables anyone to deploy their own Private LTE network with performance advantages over other wireless technologies. I covered MulteFire deployment uses cases in industrial IoT and Enterprise settings, followed by market opportunities and insight into 5G New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U). Not only were we able to give end users a glimpse into how MulteFire works today, but also into how it will enable the future of wireless connectivity.

Focusing on the Future

Following my talk, we engaged with fellow attendees who were interested in how MulteFire technology would impact the wireless industry today and in the future. By providing this enhanced connectivity, verticals that will be most impacted by the IoT and 5G evolution, such as airports, shipping ports, factories, mines, etc., are able to deploy standalone LTE-based networks today that will provide their industry with the needed connectivity to scale with the changing wireless landscape. The MulteFire Alliance will also continue to ensure connectivity in the unlicensed band beyond LTE-technology. We will be promoting 5G in unlicensed spectrum and we are actively supporting 3GPP standardization efforts for 5G NR-U (Release 16) thanks to overlapping membership between the organizations.

Next up: Scaling the Internet of Intelligent Things

With the focus on IoT, the MulteFire Alliance will once again be at MWC Los Angeles this October 22-24 and IoT Solutions World Congress in Barcelona, October 29-31, 2019. Starting at 1:00 P.M. on October 22, Nabil Bitar, CTO, Large Enterprise & Webscale Segment, Nokia, will represent the MulteFire Alliance during a panel session on Scaling the Internet of Intelligent Things. He will be joined by other industry leaders from KORE and Cisco to discuss how businesses will be able to future-proof their IoT solutions, allowing for true scalability.

Stop by one of our booths at MWC Los Angeles (South Hall #2066) or at IoT Solutions World Congress (B285) to learn more about the most recent MulteFire devices, IoT uses cases, certification program and more. To schedule a meeting with the MulteFire Alliance during an upcoming event, contact press@MulteFire.org.

By Outi Niemi, MulteFire Alliance Secretary

I recently returned from our MulteFire Open Day in Tokyo which included an exciting mix of presentations from Alliance leadership, Q&A with attendees and live MulteFire technology demonstrations. While this was our second Open Day in Tokyo (following our successful event in February 2017), this was my first time moderating the panel. This was also our second time in Tokyo in 2019 as we announced the commercial availability of MulteFire solutions in Japan during our MulteFire Works event in February.

During our 2017 event, the XGP Forum presented to the Alliance members and attendees on its vision for MulteFire technology in the 1.9 GHz band in Japan. Originally, the 3GPP Band 39 was designated for PHS and DECT systems, but with the ecosystem growth of TD-LTE devices in Band 39, it opened up a new opportunity for MulteFire. Since this initial introduction by XGP Forum and in collaboration with the organization, we have published the Release 1.1 specification which added support for 1.9 GHz and the technology is now ready for commercial deployment in Japan.

I was pleased to moderate the Open Day panel this time around and to learn more about what the next steps to take MulteFire to commercialization. Noriaki Hibi with Baicells, Miguel Delorme with DEKRA Japan, and Yoshiyuki Kubo with Qucell served as panelists and in a combination of both English and Japanese answered audience questions. During the discussion a few themes came out that resonated with me.

• Initial Deployments will Focus on Industrial IoT. The initial interest for MulteFire technology is for data communications for industrial IoT applications and private LTE networks. These initial deployments will be important benchmarks to prove the MulteFire value proposition for LTE-like performance and security with Wi-Fi-like deployment simplicity. Once the value proposition is proven in Japan, we expect global deployments to follow.

• Interoperability is Critical. In order for MulteFire technology to be successful in Japan, devices will need to not only meet mandatory regulatory requirements, but also be proven to interoperate with each other. If you look at any successful wireless technology, they all have a few things in common: 1) multiple players, both large and small; and 2) solid certification programs that test for interoperability.

• MulteFire is for Everyone. One of the main benefits of MulteFire is that anyone can use it. Deployed as a private LTE network, Enterprises and IoT can tailor it and manage it to meet their specific requirements for high security, high performance, mobility and low latency. Deployed via small cells in unlicensed spectrum bands with Wi-Fi-like plug & play implementation, MulteFire can be deployed anywhere, from shopping malls and factories, to shipping ports and large campuses. There is no limit on how or where the technology can be deployed.

Following the presentations and panel discussions, attendees had the chance to meet with the six member companies that showcased MulteFire technology solutions and live technology demonstrations. This was our second public demonstration in Japan this year following our successful “MulteFire Works” event in February.

I’m excited about the potential for MulteFire in 2019 and beyond. I encourage you to contact us to learn more about how to get involved and be a part of the MulteFire story.

MulteFire Alliance IoT Optimized Specification Now Publicly Available

By Mazen Chmaytelli, MulteFire Alliance President

I am pleased to announce that the MulteFire Release 1.1 specification is now available to download for anyone with an interest in LTE-based technology operating standalone in unlicensed or shared spectrum. Our new release is an important development for industrial IoT and Enterprise, helping to meet their specific requirements for performance, latency, security and mobility.

MulteFire Release 1.1 enhances the performance of MulteFire Release 1.0 broadband services for the global 5 GHz unlicensed band, adding many new IoT capabilities and spectrum bands.

Supporting eMTC-U and NB-IoT-U
In Release 1.1, we’ve added eMTC-U in the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band, which supports medium data rate applications and delivers robust wireless connectivity up to several hundred meters. A typical application to benefit from this capacity and range would be surveillance monitoring for private networks. We’ve also added NB-IoT-U in the 800/900 MHz unlicensed bands for narrowband applications requiring only extremely low date rates. NB-IoT-U delivers connectivity between devices that are several kilometers apart and enables applications such as smart meters for private networks.

Enabling commercial deployments in 1.9 GHz in Japan
Growing support for the 1.9 GHz (3GPP Band 39) in Japan is an exciting development as we anticipate the first commercial launch of MulteFire technology in the Japanese market. Developed in conjunction with the XGP Forum, MulteFire in 1.9 GHz benefits from the massive TD-LTE ecosystem with over 1 billion devices that already support 3GPP Band 39 today. Several vendors have also announced commercial availability of MulteFire 1.1 eNBs.

The MulteFire Technical Specification Group drove the specification development with determination and I think you will agree that their hard work is evident.

Download Specification and White paper
The Release 1.1 Specification is available for download here.

For a deeper dive,  please download the Release 1.1 Technical Overview white paper.

Please contact the MulteFire Alliance if you have any questions regarding the 1.1 Specification.