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Overview
LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines), also known as LTE Cat-M1, is a cellular IoT technology designed to provide low-power wide-area connectivity for machine-to-machine and Internet of Things applications. LTE-M combines the coverage advantages of LTE networks with reduced device complexity, lower power consumption and extended deployment flexibility. This guide explains the terminology commonly encountered during LTE-M surveys.
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| SNYPER-IoT Graphyte (GL) | LTE-M, NB-IoT and cellular IoT network analyser. |
| SNYPER-5G Graphyte | Multi-technology cellular network analyser with LTE-M support. |
| CloudSURVEY | Cellular survey visualisation and analysis platform. |
This guide explains:
Expected Result
At the end of this guide the user will understand the identifiers, measurements and radio performance indicators reported during LTE-M surveys.
LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines) is a low-power wide-area cellular technology standardised by 3GPP as Category M1.
LTE-M was developed to support IoT applications requiring:
Unlike traditional LTE broadband devices, LTE-M devices are optimised for lower throughput and extended battery-powered operation.
LTE-M provides:
LTE-M can be deployed using several LTE spectrum approaches.
| Deployment Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| In-band | LTE-M operates within an existing LTE carrier. |
| Guard Band | LTE-M operates within unused LTE guard spectrum. |
| Standalone | LTE-M operates in re-farmed spectrum previously used by GSM. |
Deployment mode can affect:
The Mobile Country Code identifies the country associated with the network operator.
| MCC | Country |
|---|---|
| 234 | United Kingdom |
| 262 | Germany |
| 208 | France |
| 310 | United States |
The MCC identifies the country operating the LTE-M network.
The Mobile Network Code identifies the operator within a country.
| MCC | MNC | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| 234 | 15 | Vodafone UK |
| 234 | 30 | EE |
| 234 | 10 | O2 |
The MNC identifies the specific operator providing LTE-M service.
The Tracking Area Code identifies a geographical service region within an LTE network.
TAC values are used for:
Changes in TAC values often indicate movement between network service regions.
The Cell ID uniquely identifies an LTE serving cell.
| Parameter | Example |
|---|---|
| Cell ID | 12345678 |
| TAC | 32101 |
| Operator | Vodafone |
Cell IDs support:
Physical Cell Identity identifies an LTE radio cell within a local radio environment.
| PCI Range | Description |
|---|---|
| 0–503 | Valid LTE PCI range |
PCI allows devices to distinguish neighbouring LTE cells operating on the same frequency.
EARFCN identifies the LTE carrier frequency used by the serving cell.
| EARFCN | Band |
|---|---|
| 6300 | Band 20 (800 MHz) |
| 1300 | Band 3 (1800 MHz) |
EARFCN identifies:
LTE-M can operate on standard LTE bands depending upon operator deployment.
| LTE Band | Frequency | Typical Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Band 20 | 800 MHz | Excellent range and building penetration |
| Band 8 | 900 MHz | Wide-area coverage |
| Band 3 | 1800 MHz | Balanced coverage and capacity |
| Band 1 | 2100 MHz | Higher capacity deployment |
RSRP measures the received LTE reference signal power.
RSRP is the primary LTE-M signal strength measurement.
| LTE-M RSRP Signal Strength Scale (dBm) | ||||
| Poor | Weak | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| < -120 | -120 to -110 | -110 to -100 | -100 to -90 | > -90 |
RSRQ measures LTE signal quality by comparing signal power to overall received energy.
RSRQ provides an indication of network loading, interference and radio quality.
| LTE-M RSRQ Signal Quality Scale (dB) | ||||
| Poor | Weak | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| < -18 | -18 to -15 | -15 to -12 | -12 to -9 | > -9 |
SINR measures LTE radio quality by comparing useful signal power against interference and background noise.
SINR is one of the strongest indicators of expected LTE-M performance.
| LTE-M SINR Quality Scale (dB) | ||||
| Poor | Weak | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| < 0 | 0 to 5 | 5 to 10 | 10 to 20 | > 20 |
LTE-M supports Coverage Enhancement (CE) mechanisms to improve operation in challenging radio environments.
Coverage Enhancement allows LTE-M devices to operate in locations where traditional LTE connectivity may be unreliable.
Characteristics typically include:
Characteristics typically include:
Characteristics typically include:
| Observation | Possible Cause | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Low RSRP | Weak coverage | Improve antenna placement. |
| Poor RSRQ | Network loading or interference | Review installation environment. |
| Low SINR | Radio interference | Reduce local interference sources. |
| Missing LTE-M Service | Operator deployment limitation | Verify LTE-M availability. |
| Intermittent Connectivity | Coverage fluctuation | Consider a higher gain antenna. |
| Parameter | Purpose |
|---|---|
| MCC | Country identification. |
| MNC | Operator identification. |
| TAC | Tracking area identification. |
| Cell ID | Cell identification. |
| PCI | Radio cell identification. |
| EARFCN | Frequency identification. |
| RSRP | Signal strength indication. |
| RSRQ | Signal quality indication. |
| SINR | Radio performance indication. |
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