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The Guide to Understanding the Technologies Defining the Next Phase of Edge AI

The 2026 Edge AI Technology Report Just Launched

This white paper focuses on practical design choices that improve battery life and maintain stable operation across changing load conditions.

Efficient Power Management for Portable and IoT Devices

Exploring the design, development, connectivity, security, and more aspects of IoT devices

Internet of Things: A Comprehensive Guide to its Engineering Principles and Applications

Variable Speed Drive Controller used in Factories

This guide explains what is a VFD, further detailing how it works, compares types and vendors, provides application and selection advice, surveys 2026 trends, and responds to common questions.

What Is a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive)? Complete Engineering Guide to VFD Drives (2026)

Active high-pass filters remove unwanted low-frequency signals while preserving useful higher frequencies. This article covers first- and second-order filter design, Sallen-Key and multiple-feedback topologies, and practical applications in audio electronics, instrumentation, and signal processing.

Active High Pass Filter: Theory, Design, and Applications

Active low-pass filters use op-amps, resistors, and capacitors to pass low-frequency signals while attenuating higher frequencies. This article covers first-order and second-order filter design, Sallen-Key and MFB topologies, cutoff frequency, Q factor, and applications.

Active Low Pass Filter Design and Implementation

A bandpass filter is a circuit that allows a selected range of frequencies to pass while reducing low and high frequencies. This article covers the design of active bandpass filters using op-amps, resistors, and capacitors, including cutoff and center frequencies,, Sallen-Key and MFB topologies.

Active Bandpass Filter Design Guide

A guide covering the full radio-frequency design workflow, starting from setting specifications and choosing topologies to matching, simulation, layout, and verification, to help antenna engineers.

RF Design Methodology: From Specification to Verification

Explore IoT security solutions with insights into the threat landscape, secure architectures, and best practices for engineers building resilient connected systems.

IoT Security Solutions: Threat Landscape, Architecture, and Engineering Best Practices

Practical and architectural insights into IoT gateways, including edge versus cloud placement, protocol translation, data aggregation, hardware designs, and deployment patterns for industrial IoT.

IoT Gateway Architecture: Edge vs. Cloud, Protocol Translation, and Deployment Patterns

Understanding the signal names, numbering schemes, electrical limits and software control of the Raspberry Pi 5 general purpose input/output (GPIO) header empowers hardware and digital design engineers to build robust embedded solutions.

Raspberry Pi 5 GPIO Pinout: Theory and Practice for Engineers

The Raspberry Pi Zero 2W features a quadcore 64 bit processor and builtin wireless in a tiny footprint. Its 40 pin header provides engineers with a flexible interface for embedded applications. This guide explores the theory behind the pinout and offers practical guidance for learners.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Pinout: Comprehensive Guide for Engineers

A comprehensive guide to half adder circuits for engineers and technical learners. Learn the theory behind half adders, explore truth tables, logic expressions, K maps, implementations with Logic gates, TTL/CMOS ICs, Verilog modelling, propagation delays, design strategies, and applications.

Half Adder Circuit—Theory, Design, and Implementation

Head Engineer monitoring plant data using SCADA, through HMI

Understanding the differences between Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP/IP is essential for designing reliable and scalable control systems. This indepth guide compares the serial and Ethernet variants of the Modbus protocol, explains their strengths and weaknesses, and provides practical advice for engine

Modbus RTU vs TCP: A Comprehensive Comparison of Industrial Protocols

Discover key differences in GDDR6 vs GDDR6X memory: compare bandwidth, power efficiency, signaling methods, and design trade-offs for advanced GPU architectures.

GDDR6 vs GDDR6X: A Comprehensive Technical Comparison for Digital Design & Hardware Engineers

A comprehensive technical comparison of low-pass and high-pass filters, covering how each works, practical circuit implementations, and when to use them in electronics and signal processing.

Low Pass Filter vs High Pass Filter – Theory, Design, and Applications

In mid-April 2026, Nordic Semiconductor released the <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF9151/Download?#A9BA541CDE7C49A1A7B28D0099AC3E24" target="_blank">v1.0.0 NTN modem firmware</a> for their latest chipset, the nRF9151. A "1.0" tag is supposed to mean “ready for production”. But is it, really? And at what cost?Let's put the latest NTN developments to the test and find out if the standard is actually ready for production.<h2>Non-Terrestrial Networks Explained</h2>Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) are the 3GPP's response to a continuous demand for connecting the largest part of the planet that no cell tower will ever reach. It opens up a long list of use cases: connecting large farmlands, monitoring energy infrastructure, tracking global logistics, overseeing mining equipment, just to name a few. The standard, defined by the 3GPP in <a href="https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/releases/release-17" target="_blank">Release 17</a> (frozen in June 2022), <a href="https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/ntn-overview" target="_blank">extends existing cellular protocols</a> (LTE-M and NB-IoT) to work over satellites.The promise is that none of this requires significant changes to the IoT devices. The same modem should support both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. The same antenna should work, to some extend. And more and more connectivity providers now let you use the same SIM for both kinds of networks.In essence, the satellite acts as a cell tower deployed in space. Once a data packet is picked up, it's forwarded to the provider's mobile core, which routes it to the right endpoint on the application side. To the application layer, an NTN link looks like a regular cellular session, supporting both uplink and downlink traffic, just with higher latency and a tighter link budget.<h2>Requirements</h2>To deploy an TN (Terrestrial Networks) + NTN solution, four pieces have to line up:<ol><li>A modem that supports both TN+NTN and 3GPP Release 17. Several vendors have shipped NTN-capable chipsets, including the <a target="_self" href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF9151/">Nordic nRF9151</a>, <a target="_self" href="https://www.murata.com/products/connectivitymodule/lpwa/overview/lineup/type-1sc">Murata Type 1SC</a>, <a target="_self" href="https://www.quectel.com/product/bg770a-sn-satellite-communication-module/">Quectel BG770A-SN</a>, <a target="_self" href="https://www.quectel.com/product/bg95-s5-satellite-communication-module/">Quectel BG95-S5</a>, <a target="_self" href="https://www.telit.com/devices/me310m1-series/">Telit ME310M1</a> (Skylo Certification in progress), and <a target="_self" href="https://www.sierrawireless.com/iot-modules/lpwa-modules/hl7812/">Semtech HL7812</a>.</li><li>Access to a satellite network. Nordic currently supports <a target="_self" href="https://www.skylo.tech/">Skylo</a> (Geostationary Earth Orbit, or GEO) and <a target="_self" href="https://sateliot.space/">Sateliot</a> (Low Earth Orbit, or LEO). You can work directly with these satellite operators, but several connectivity providers have already integrated Skylo’s satellite networks into their platforms, enabling a single SIM and a single platform to cover both ground and space. Skylo’s GEO-based network means the satellite is always overhead and data can be sent at will.</li><li>An antenna that handles the NTN frequency bands used in Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum. The antenna must support Band 255 (Global), Band 23 (N. America) and/or Band 256 (Europe). </li><li>A UDP server on the receiving side. NTN today is NB-IoT only, which means UDP traffic only. You need an endpoint that can receive it.</li></ol>Arguably, the biggest benefit of 3GPP NTN is the minimal rearchitecting required for existing IoT deployments. The same modem, SIM, and application logic can operate across both TN and NTN. Partners like Monogoto make this tangible with a single SIM that seamlessly falls back to satellite connectivity when terrestrial coverage drops, much like an MVNO roaming across multiple MNO networks.On paper, tons of businesses should be lining up to implement satellite connectivity into their use cases. But do they?<h2>Putting NTN to the Test</h2>Beyond the press releases, we wanted to see what an honest end-to-end NTN deployment looks like in 2026. So we built one ourselves. Every part is off-the-shelf, and the test can be replicated by anyone willing to do the work.Our setup contains:<ul><li>Nordic Semiconductor's<a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF9151" target="_blank"> nRF9151 SiP</a> running the latest v1.0.0 NTN modem firmware.</li><li><a href="https://www.actinius.com/" target="_blank">Actinius Icarus</a> (pre-released) development kit built around the nRF9151 with onboard temperature sensor and accelerometer.</li><li><a href="https://www.kyocera-avx.com/" target="_blank">Kyocera AVX</a> NTN antenna, tuned for the satellite’s L-band frequencies</li><li><a href="https://monogoto.io/" target="_blank">Monogoto</a> SIM with native<a href="https://www.skylo.tech/" target="_blank"> Skylo</a> NTN integration</li><li><a href="https://tago.io/" target="_blank">TagoIO</a> IoT platform, with an integrated UDP server to store and process data.</li><li><a href="https://www.qoitech.com/" target="_blank">Qoitech Otii</a> power profiler, measuring the device’s energy consumption during the process of connecting to a satellite, sending and receiving data.</li></ul> <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzc5MzU2ODc4MjQxLUlNR18yNzgzLkpQRyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />The NTN setup with an active GNSS antenna, Actinius Icarus development kit with the nRF9151, and the Kyocera AVX’s L-band antenna.The sanity check is built around three questions:<ol><li>Does it work?</li><li>At what price?</li><li>At what power budget?</li></ol><h3>Does it work?</h3>We started from Nordic's open-source <a href="https://github.com/nrfconnect/Asset-Tracker-Template/tree/ntn_usecase" target="_blank">Asset Tracker Template</a>, which already ships an NTN use-case branch. The only modifications needed were a light adapter to TagoIO's UDP endpoint and a reformat to match their lightweight telemetry format, <a href="https://tago.io/tip" target="_blank">TagoTIP</a>.Connecting to Monogoto required no separate provisioning step apart from enabling the Monogoto overlay at build time. The device booted, registered on Skylo, and started reporting in. From there, the Monogoto hub gave us live feedback on attach status, signal quality, and data flow.Power it up, and data showed up in the TagoIO dashboard. The verdict: yes, NTN works, with off-the-shelf parts and openly accessible firmware. <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzc5MzU2ODE0NTIyLU1vbm9nb3RvIERhc2hib2FyZC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Monogoto hub showing the live NTN connection<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzc5MzU2ODMwMTAwLVRhZ29JTy1kYXNoYm9hcmQucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />you TagoIO dashboard, visualizing the location and temperature data<h3>At what price?</h3>Monogoto's NTN pricing to access Skylo's network is $0.30 per KB, billed in 50-byte increments (<a href="https://monogoto.io/monogoto-ntn-pricing-pay-as-you-go-simplified-pricing/" target="_blank">source</a>).During the test, the following payload was sent, which (including its overhead) contains a total of 152 bytes.<pre>&lt;code&gt;PUSH|&lt;token&gt;|&lt;device_id&gt;|[temp:=14.00#C@=52.089895,4.313049{device=*2519};x:=0.1532#m/s2;y:=0.0383#m/s2;z:=9.4611#m/s2]&lt;/code&gt;</pre>The sensor payload of 152 bytes rounds up to 200 bytes, which works out to roughly 6 cents per message. Send one every fifteen minutes for a month and you're looking at around $173 per device. Clearly this is not economically feasible and therefore NTN IoT device behavior should be treated differently than TN IoT device behavior.Compared head-to-head with terrestrial cellular, often under $0.01 per MB, NTN looks expensive, but that's the wrong comparison. NTN exists precisely where terrestrial coverage doesn't. When a device detects it has attached to an NTN network, it should shift behavior: reduce transmission frequency to the minimum operationally acceptable interval and strip payloads down to only the data that matters most. Most modern modem SDKs, including Nordic’s, expose the network access technology in use, so detecting the switch and triggering a different transmission policy can be accomplished. The real question isn't whether it's cheap in absolute terms, it's whether you can make the economics of your specific IoT business case work.<h3>At what power budget?</h3>One key question remains, does it work out with the available power budget of battery-driven devices? We challenged Qoitech to conduct an in-depth analysis of an IoT device sending data over satellite networks, and the outcomes are more interesting than expected, and we'll walk through it live. This and more will be shared in the upcoming webinar, happening on June 2!<h2>Join the live demo!</h2>Let's move past another article promising "ubiquitous connectivity" and show how the technology works in reality, giving real data about the pricing and power budget.We’re warmly inviting you to join the <a href="https://app.livestorm.co/iot-stars/the-non-terrestrial-networks-sanity-check?utm_source=iotstars&amp;utm_medium=wevolver" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">live webinar</a> on June 2, 4pm CEST / 7am PST. We'll send a message from a device to a non-terrestrial network, show the power trace as it happens, and put real numbers next to the cost and energy questions every NTN evaluation eventually runs into.On the agenda:<ul><li>A live, end-to-end NTN demo</li><li>Technical notes from Maor Efrati, CTO at Monogoto</li><li>Power analysis findings from Björn Rosqvist CPO at Qoitech</li><li>NTN antenna insights from Carmen Redondo, Director Global Marketing at Kyocera AVX</li><li>Open Q&amp;A</li></ul>See it for yourself and decide whether NTN has a place in your next IoT deployment.<a href="https://app.livestorm.co/iot-stars/the-non-terrestrial-networks-sanity-check?utm_source=iotstars&amp;utm_medium=wevolver" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JOIN WEBINAR</a><hr />by<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensslats/" target="_blank"> Laurens Slats</a> <a target="_blank">laurens@iotstars.com</a> Further reading:<ul><li>3GPPs NTN overview <a href="https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/ntn-overview" target="_blank">https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/ntn-overview</a></li><li>Monogoto NTN pricing:  <a href="https://monogoto.io/monogoto-ntn-pricing-pay-as-you-go-simplified-pricing/" target="_blank">https://monogoto.io/monogoto-ntn-pricing-pay-as-you-go-simplified-pricing/</a></li><li>Antenna performance:  <a href="https://www.everythingrf.com/community/from-earth-to-orbit-the-important-role-of-antennas-in-ntn" target="_blank">https://www.everythingrf.com/community/from-earth-to-orbit-the-important-role-of-antennas-in-ntn</a></li><li>Skylo’s coverage map:  <a href="https://www.skylo.tech/resources/geographical-coverage" target="_blank">https://www.skylo.tech/resources/geographical-coverage</a></li><li>Asset Tracker Template for NTN use cases:  <a href="https://github.com/nrfconnect/Asset-Tracker-Template/tree/ntn_usecase" target="_blank">https://github.com/nrfconnect/Asset-Tracker-Template/tree/ntn_usecase</a></li></ul>

NTN modems are "ready for production." But is it, really? And at what cost?

The Satellite IoT Sanity Check

Who told you that you need a physical SIM to connect to a cellular network?For as long as we can remember, SIM cards have been the no. 1 requirement for any device to get cellular connectivity. While there used to be only one type of SIM, the plastic one, there are many options today: iSIM, eSIM, nuSIM, and SoftSIM. While these options are diverse, most still rely on a physical component. Whether it is the standard plastic SIM you punch out and insert into a slot, or an Embedded SIM (MFF2/MFF4) soldered directly onto your PCB, a dedicated piece of hardware is required. Even the iSIM (Integrated SIM), such as the one found inside the<a href="https://docs.monogoto.io/getting-started/sim-cards/isim/murata-lbad0xx1sc" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> Murata Type 1SC</a>, is still a physical entity fully integrated within the modem or system-on-chip.But what if you could remove the hardware requirement entirely?<h2>From Plastic to Software</h2>SoftSIM changes the model completely. Instead of relying on a physical card, the SIM credentials are stored directly on the device. The modem still behaves the same from a network perspective, but the “SIM” is now just data, embedded and managed through software.At its core, a SoftSIM is defined by four parameters:<ul><li>ICCID: The unique identifier of the SIM card.</li><li>IMSI: The international subscriber identity used to identify the device on the network.</li><li>KI: The secret authentication key (the “password” of the SIM).</li><li>OPC: An operator-specific parameter used during the authentication process.</li></ul>Together, these values form the digital identity of your SIM. Once securely stored on the device, it can authenticate and connect just like it would with a physical SIM.<h2>The Benefits of a Virtualized SIM</h2>Moving to a software-based identity offers three main advantages:<ol><li>Reduced Bill of Materials (BOM): You eliminate the cost of the SIM holder, the physical SIM, and the associated PCB traces. This also translates to lower manufacturing costs.</li><li>Scalability: You no longer need to manage physical inventory of SIM cards or go through the cumbersome process of manually inserting SIMs. You can provision the identity as part of the device provisioning process.</li><li>Space: By removing the physical SIM slot or the embedded SIM, you save valuable space on the PCB, critical for compact IoT designs.</li></ol><h2>The Architecture: Security via ARM TrustZone</h2>If the SIM is just software, what stops it from being cloned or compromised?If implemented properly, the SoftSIM isn’t just a file sitting in general flash memory; it utilizes ARM TrustZone to create a hardware-isolated environment. The SIM credentials reside within TF-M (Trusted Firmware-M) Internal Trusted Storage (ITS).This ensures that sensitive data like the KI and OPC are never exposed to the less secure application layer. You get the flexibility of software with the tamper-resistance of a physical Secure Element.<h2>Try it Yourself Using Our APIs</h2>You can get started with SoftSIM on a Nordic nRF9151 or nRF9160 in minutes using our self-service APIs. Simply order a SIM through the <a href="https://hub.monogoto.io/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Monogoto Hub</a> to get started:Example Credentials from Monogoto:<pre>&lt;code&gt;{
 "iccid": "8991101200003204512",
 "imsi": "405876123456789",
 "ki": "A1B2C3D4E5F60708AABBCCDDEEFF1122",
 "opc": "11223344556677889900AABBCCDDEEFF"
}
&lt;/code&gt;</pre>The workflow:<ol><li>Order a SoftSIM: Log in to the<a href="https://hub.monogoto.io/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> Monogoto Hub</a> and order a “Global SIM Pay As You Go” SoftSIM for just $1.</li><li>Generate the Profile: Using the<a href="https://developer.monogoto.io/overview" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> Monogoto SoftSIM API</a>, input your received credentials to generate a .hex filespecifically for your chipset.</li><li>Flash: Flash the .hex file directly to the Nordic chipset (e.g., using the nRF Connect for Desktop Programmer).</li><li>Toggle Connectivity: Use the AT%CSUS=2 command to switch the device from the physical slot (&lt;code&gt;0&lt;/code&gt;) to the SoftSIM (&lt;code&gt;2&lt;/code&gt;).</li></ol>We believe in making connectivity accessible. You can get started with SoftSIM on a Nordic nRF9151 or nRF9160 in minutes.<h3>Scalable Provisioning (Production Grade)</h3>While our APIs are perfect for getting started, they are not intended for large-scale deployments that require a seamless, automated workflow. We have partnered with<a href="https://www.actinius.com/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> Actinius</a> to offer a scalable implementation designed to deploy SoftSIM directly to large fleets of Nordic-based devices. This provides a reliable and secure way to provision the SIM into the secure partition of the chipset during production.<h2>Technical Implementation: The AT%CSUS Switch</h2>How does the modem know to look at the internal memory instead of the physical SIM slot? Developers use the &lt;code&gt;AT%CSUS&lt;/code&gt; (Custom SIM Usage Setting) command to toggle the identity:<ul><li>&lt;code&gt;AT%CSUS=0&lt;/code&gt;: Default (Physical SIM).</li><li>&lt;code&gt;AT%CSUS=2&lt;/code&gt;: SoftSIM.</li></ul>Because the modem needs to re-initialize the identity, the radio must be toggled during the switch:<pre>&lt;code&gt;AT+CFUN=0 # Disable Radio
 AT%CSUS=2 # Switch to SoftSIM
 AT+CFUN=1 # Enable Radio&lt;/code&gt;</pre><h2>Watch it in Action</h2>If you want to see exactly how this works, from API calls to live network attachment, check out our latest episode of Show, Don’t Tell. We walk through the entire process to order, download, flash, and activate a fully virtual SIM card.I’m inviting you to watch the full video, and to try it out yourself!<iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0nFRRhndoGs?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://monogoto.io" frameborder="0"></iframe>Ready to start? Head over to<a href="https://docs.monogoto.io/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> docs.monogoto.io</a>, order your SIM via the <a href="https://hub.monogoto.io/" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Monogoto Hub</a>, and get started with the <a href="https://developer.monogoto.io/overview" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Monogoto API</a>. Interested in the scalable provisioning method? Reach out to our support team at <a target="_blank">support@monogoto.io</a>.Good luck virtualizing your SIM card!

Who told you that you need a physical SIM to connect to a cellular network?

SoftSIM for Nordic nRF91

Cellular connectivity is one of the most common failure points in IoT deployments. Devices that perform perfectly in controlled environments often behave very differently once installed in basements, vehicles, metal enclosures, or remote locations.Missed messages, delayed commands, and unexpected battery drain are rarely application problems. More often, they come down to how connectivity was selected, configured, and validated.This white paper gives you a practical framework to avoid those issues before they scale.<iframe id="JotFormIFrame-261244210544345" src="https://form.jotform.com/261244210544345" frameborder="0" style="min-width:100%;max-width:100%;height:800px;border:none" scrolling="yes" class="fr-draggable"> </iframe><h2>What this white paper covers</h2>This guide is written for engineers and technical teams building connected devices who need clear, field-ready guidance without getting lost in standards documentation.Inside, you will learn how to:<ul><li>Choose the right cellular technology for your specific use case</li><li>Understand real-world trade-offs between LTE-M, NB-IoT, Cat-1, and emerging 5G options</li><li>Evaluate performance based on field conditions, not datasheet claims</li><li>Design pilot tests that reveal issues before deployment</li><li>Plan for roaming, network changes, and long device lifecycles</li></ul><h2>Who should read it</h2>This white paper is for engineers and technical teams responsible for how connected devices perform in the real world. That includes hardware and embedded engineers building IoT products, connectivity specialists selecting cellular technologies, and product or engineering leads making deployment decisions. It is especially relevant for teams working across multiple regions or operating environments where reliability, coverage, and lifecycle planning directly impact product success.<h2>Why read this white paper</h2>Connectivity issues rarely show up in early testing. They tend to surface later, during pilots or after deployment, when fixing them is significantly more complex and costly. This guide helps shift that discovery earlier by focusing on how cellular technologies behave under real conditions rather than ideal scenarios.By reading it, you gain a clearer way to evaluate trade-offs, a practical approach to field testing, and a structured framework for making decisions that hold up over time. The aim is to reduce uncertainty, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure your connectivity design performs as expected once deployed.<h2>Download the white paper</h2>If you are designing or deploying cellular IoT devices, this guide will help you avoid common pitfalls and build systems that perform reliably in the real world.Get the full Engineer’s Field Guide to Cellular IoT and start designing with field conditions in mind.<iframe id="JotFormIFrame-261244210544345" src="https://form.jotform.com/261244210544345" frameborder="0" style="min-width:100%;max-width:100%;height:800px;border:none" scrolling="yes" class="fr-draggable">   </iframe>

Design connectivity that works beyond the lab

Engineer's Field Guide to Cellular IoT

The promise of 5G has always been about blazing speeds, ultra-low latency, and massive device connectivity. However, not every Internet of Things (IoT) application needs the full power—or cost—of premium 5G New Radio (NR). Reduced Capability (RedCap) steps in as a practical solution, offering a streamlined 5G profile that bridges the gap between LTE Cat-4 and full-featured 5G. It delivers lower complexity and cost while retaining essential benefits like standalone (SA) architecture, network slicing, and improved power efficiency.This balance is critical because cellular IoT adoption is accelerating across industries. Engineers designing industrial gateways, rugged IoT devices, and mobile robotics need connectivity that is robust yet affordable. RedCap provides just enough throughput for applications such as cameras, human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and telematics, without the bill of materials burden of high-end 5G. This week’s New Tech Tuesdays digs into how 5G RedCap provides the IoT landscape with a middle ground for connectivity needs that gives designers just the right size.<h2>The Connectivity Crossroads from LTE to Lean 5G</h2>The evolution of IoT connectivity has been shaped by a constant push for higher performance and lower latency. LTE Cat-4 served as a reliable standard for years, but as applications grew more demanding—requiring real-time video, advanced telemetry, and edge computing—engineers faced a tough choice: upgrade to full 5G NR with its complexity and cost or stick with LTE and risk performance limitations.RedCap, introduced in 3GPP Release 17, was designed to solve this dilemma. By reducing antenna requirements, bandwidth, and RF complexity, RedCap offers a leaner version of 5G that still supports critical features like network slicing for dedicated performance tiers and SA core compatibility for future-proof deployments. Power efficiency improvements make it fit for battery-operated devices, while simplified hardware requirements lower development costs.This innovation aligns perfectly with market dynamics. Operators are now deploying RedCap commercially across multiple regions, and device certification pipelines are accelerating. As a result, engineers have access to affordable, 5G-ready modules optimized for industrial and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications.<h2>The Newest Products for Your Newest Designs®</h2>The <a href="https://www.mouser.com/new/semtech/sierra-wireless-semtech-em8695-module/" target="_blank">Sierra Wireless / Semtech EM8695 module</a> is a robust solution for engineers seeking to integrate 5G RedCap into industrial and rugged IoT designs without the complexity and cost of full 5G NR. This module is engineered to deliver the right balance of performance and efficiency, making it ideal for mid-tier IoT applications that require reliable connectivity and moderate throughput.With support for NR SA 20MHz 1CC, the EM8695 provides optimized data rates suitable for applications such as industrial gateways and HMIs. It operates across sub-6 GHz bands, ensuring broad coverage and dependable connectivity in diverse environments. The module’s compact form factor simplifies integration into space-constrained designs, while its reduced RF complexity lowers development challenges for engineers.The EM8695 is an optimized solution for rugged IoT nodes, mobile robotics, smart kiosks, and transportation telematics systems. By combining cost efficiency, reliability, and future-proof architecture, this module empowers engineers to right-size connectivity for demanding environments without sacrificing essential 5G capabilities.<h2>Conclusion</h2>As IoT scales into billions of devices, connectivity strategies must evolve beyond one-size-fits-all solutions. 5G RedCap represents a pivotal shift—delivering the essential benefits of 5G without the complexity or cost that often limits adoption. For engineers, this isn’t just about adding another wireless option; it’s about unlocking design flexibility and enabling smarter, leaner systems that thrive in industrial and rugged environments. The future of IoT will belong to technologies that balance performance with practicality, and RedCap is leading that charge.

Discover how 5G RedCap enables cost-efficient, low-power connectivity for industrial gateways and rugged IoT, bridging the gap between LTE and full 5G performance.

5G RedCap: Rightsizing Connectivity for Industrial Gateways and Rugged IoT

By 2050, nearly <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/topic/urban-development" target="_blank">7 in 10</a> people will live in urban areas, leading to billions more deliveries, commuters, and vehicles using infrastructure not designed for such congestion. Cities cannot expand fast enough to meet this demand. Instead, they must optimize every lane, charger, signal, and minute of movement. That’s where intelligent mobility comes in.<h3>Mobility Is the Most Visible Layer of a Smart City</h3>When people imagine a smarter city, they often focus on its mobility.They imagine smooth-flowing traffic, public transit that adjusts instantly, dependable EV chargers, deliveries that avoid traffic jams, and shared mobility options available wherever people need them.Mobility is a highly visible operational layer in a smart city because it affects nearly every other connected system:<ul><li>emissions and air quality</li><li>emergency response</li><li>public safety</li><li>supply chains and logistics</li><li>energy demand and grid coordination</li><li>accessibility and economic opportunity</li></ul>A city that improves mobility enhances not only transportation but also overall city operations.<h3>The Industry Has Moved Beyond "Smart Devices"</h3>The mobility industry has moved from experimenting with connectivity to implementing it wherever possible. Vehicles communicate with infrastructure, charging networks interact with the grid, traffic systems use live telemetry, and fleets are coordinated dynamically across cities and borders. For example, Singapore’s Smart Mobility 2030 initiative has enabled dynamic traffic management and data-sharing between vehicles and city infrastructure, resulting in smoother commuter flows and less congestion. In Los Angeles, connected traffic signals through the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control system have improved traffic flow and emergency response times. These deployments show the main challenge is no longer movement itself.The real challenge is coordination. Effective coordination transforms disconnected technologies into a truly intelligent mobility system.<h3>Connectivity Has Become the Control Layer</h3>None of these systems operate reliably without continuous connectivity.A smart intersection is ineffective if devices lose communication. Autonomous shuttles cannot operate consistently on fragmented networks. An EV charging network fails when uptime is unpredictable. As mobility systems become more intelligent, the network must also become more adaptive and reliable.Connectivity can no longer serve as passive infrastructure. It must now actively support real-time operations by:<ul><li>switching networks automatically based on coverage and policy</li><li>prioritizing uptime across cellular, private wireless, and satellite</li><li>enforcing zero-trust security at the SIM and network layer</li><li>supporting live telemetry, diagnostics, and OTA updates</li><li>enabling policy control programmatically through APIs</li></ul>Connectivity is evolving from a basic utility to an operational control layer.<h3>What's Holding Smarter Cities Back Isn't the Technology</h3>Vehicles, AI, and traffic systems function as intended. However, underlying infrastructure slows intelligent mobility deployments:<ul><li>fragmented carrier relationships</li><li>inconsistent coverage between urban and remote environments </li><li>limitations in cross-border roaming </li><li>latency in safety-critical applications</li><li>cybersecurity exposure </li></ul>Ultimately, the bottleneck is more about orchestration than innovation. This matters because mobility systems are no longer isolated technologies; they are interconnected layers of city operations. When connectivity fails, it impacts not just a single device or vehicle but also traffic flow, logistics, emergency response, transit reliability, energy coordination, and more.To address the coordination challenge, cities are increasingly adopting proven orchestration frameworks. Centralized mobility management platforms monitor, analyze, and optimize traffic patterns in real time by aggregating data from various sources. Layered control architectures enable different city services (transportation, energy, public safety, etc) to share information while maintaining operational independence. Cross-sector data hubs and standardized APIs allow seamless communication and integration between public and private mobility stakeholders. Network orchestration tools automate connectivity resource allocation based on live demand, prioritizing emergency or safety-critical functions when needed.These orchestration strategies transform fragmented systems into unified operations, helping cities make smarter decisions, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure that mobility services adapt dynamically to real-world conditions.That’s why intelligent mobility is quickly becoming one of the defining infrastructure challenges for modern cities.<h3>Smarter Cities Will Run on Invisible Infrastructure</h3>The most important infrastructure in future cities may also be the least visible. It is not the vehicles, chargers, or even the AI itself. It is the connectivity layer that coordinates everything between them.As cities become more dependent on real-time systems, connectivity shifts from background to operational infrastructure. The network no longer just transports data; it enables automation, coordination, decision-making, and resilience across entire mobility ecosystems.This shift changes how cities approach infrastructure. For decades, urban infrastructure was primarily physical: roads, bridges, power grids, and transit lines. Today, cities also rely on digital infrastructure that supports continuous communication between vehicles, devices, and networks at scale.<h3>Building the Next Generation of Mobility Infrastructure</h3>This shift is already influencing how mobility platforms are designed and deployed. Organizations building connected fleets, EV infrastructure, autonomous systems, and smart city technologies are increasingly prioritizing:<ul><li>multi-network resilience</li><li>real-time network orchestration</li><li>API-driven control</li><li>integrated security at the network layer</li></ul>The goal is no longer just connecting devices. It’s creating mobility systems that reliably operate in the real world, across cities, borders, and changing network environments.At Monogoto, we believe intelligent mobility will ultimately depend on connectivity infrastructure that is flexible, programmable, secure, and purpose-built for movement. Regardless of the vendor or solution, cities and organizations can benefit from a few core principles when evaluating connectivity platforms for smart mobility. Look for solutions that:<ul><li>Support automatic multi-network switching to maintain uptime</li><li>Provide robust, integrated security at every layer</li><li>Offer API-driven programmability for flexible control</li><li>Ensure real-time visibility and diagnostics</li><li>Scale reliably as operations grow</li></ul>By applying these general guidelines, mobility teams can select connectivity partners and systems that meet the unique demands of their cities and prepare them for future innovation.Smart cities will not be defined by the intelligence of their vehicles, but by how well everything moving through the city remains connected.<h3>Explore Intelligent Mobility Connectivity</h3>Learn how developers and mobility teams are building connected systems across cellular, satellite, and private networks. Try <a href="https://lp.monogoto.io/iot-connectivity-kit" target="_blank">Monogoto’s free IoT starter kit</a> to experiment firsthand.

Learn how connected infrastructure is shaping smarter cities and what is still holding it back

Efficient and Connected: The Role of Intelligent Mobility in Building Smarter Cities

<h4 id="isPasted">The era of virtualized SIMs has arrived.</h4>For decades, SIM cards have been the most inflexible component of the cellular stack. They were physical, operator-locked, and difficult to replace after deployment. Global scaling required complex logistics, inventory management, and per-market agreements, often after devices were already deployed.This is changing. SGP.32, the GSMA’s IoT Remote SIM Provisioning standard, converts the SIM into software and is the first eSIM standard designed specifically for large-scale IoT.After slow adoption of SGP.02 and SGP.22, SGP.32 is gaining significant traction in security systems, automotive, body cameras, fixed wireless, and industrial IoT.The key reason is that SGP.32 shifts control of identity.<h4>The fundamental change: enterprises now own device identity.</h4>SGP.32 introduces not only a technical shift, but a structural one.Traditionally, operators owned device identity. The IMSI resided on an operator-issued SIM, and switching networks required physical changes, complex migrations, or accepting vendor lock-in.With SGP.32, the enterprise owns the identity. The eUICC (the chip) is embedded in the device, and the eIM manages profile downloads and lifecycle management. Operators still provide profiles, but enterprises control which to use, when, and where. This enables enterprises to:<ul><li>Ship one global SKU</li><li>Simplify supply chains</li><li>Make connectivity decisions after deployment</li><li>Reduce dependency on a single carrier</li></ul>Modern connectivity should be flexible, software-defined, and aligned with the device lifecycle rather than constrained by SIM limitations.<h4>How to adopt SGP.32: three deployment options</h4>Enterprises adopting SGP.32 typically have three options:1. Purchase directly from the eUICC vendor. Work with vendors such as Kigen, IDEMIA, or Giesecke+Devrient, deploy your own eIM, and manage operator integrations. This provides maximum control but requires significant telecom expertise, certification, and extended timelines.2. Lease the SGP.32 platform from a connectivity partner such as Monogoto. Devices ship with a bootstrap profile, connect globally upon activation, and can switch profiles over the air. This approach offers:<ul><li>Faster deployment</li><li>Reduced operational complexity</li><li>Full control of identity without building the stack from scratch</li></ul>3. Become your own MVNO. This is viable only for organizations ready to make telecom a core competency.For most enterprises, the second option offers the best balance of control, flexibility, and speed.&lt;h5&gt;Bootstrap connectivity is more powerful than most teams realize&lt;/h5&gt;When people hear “bootstrap SIM,” they usually think of day-one provisioning. That’s only half the story.Use case 1: Bootstrap as a deployment accelerator. Devices ship with a preloaded profile, connect immediately, and operator selection occurs remotely. This results in:<ul><li>One SKU</li><li>Simplified logistics</li><li>Faster global rollout</li></ul>Use case 2: Bootstrap as built-in resilience. More enterprises should consider this approach. A secondary profile can remain dormant on the eUICC and be activated remotely if the primary network fails due to outages, pricing changes, or coverage gaps. This eliminates:<ul><li>Physical intervention</li><li>Device recalls</li><li>Single-carrier dependency</li></ul>A dormant profile is a simple way to introduce redundancy at the identity layer.<h4>The Zero Trust advantage: identity ownership delivers additional value.</h4>SGP.32 offers an additional benefit that is often underestimated: once you own the identity, you can implement Zero Trust security.Zero Trust is now the default security architecture in enterprise IT: never trust based on network location, always verify, and authenticate every request against a hardware-rooted credential.This model works well for laptops and cloud workloads, but has been difficult to apply to IoT because most devices still rely on weak identity systems:<ul><li>Shared credentials or passwords</li><li>Firmware-based certificates</li><li>Chips that aren’t tamper-resistant</li></ul>As a result, device fleets often have inadequate security.SGP.32, combined with IoT SAFE, addresses this challenge.The eUICC serves as a tamper-resistant secure element, and the GSMA’s IoT SAFE applet establishes it as a hardware root of trust for the device:<ul><li>Credentials are securely stored</li><li>Keys cannot be extracted</li><li>Authentication extends across cellular, Wi-Fi, private networks, and satellite NTN</li></ul>For Physical AI deployments, connected vehicles, robotics, security cameras, and autonomous industrial systems, secure device identity is essential. A compromised credential on a connected car can result in a hijacked vehicle. In robotics, it means loss of control. For body cameras, it jeopardizes the chain of custody in legal proceedings.And this is the part that often gets overlooked: you cannot fully implement Zero Trust on an identity you do not own.<h4>Why this moment matters</h4>Several factors are converging:The standard is real. SGP.32 is finalized, products are shipping, and the certification path is well understood.Operational friction is decreasing. Virtualization eliminates the physical SIM logistics that have complicated global IoT deployments, including per-market SIM negotiations, SKU proliferation, and recalls due to operator changes.Connectivity is now multi-bearer. With identity on a software-defined eUICC, the same credential can authenticate across private cellular (CBRS, private 5G), Wi-Fi with EAP-SIM/AKA, and satellite NTN.One identity. Multiple bearers. No hardware changes. The enterprises that own their identity today will be the ones that integrate satellite and private network connectivity smoothly tomorrow.<h4>Advice for CTOs considering this transition</h4>Act promptly. Do not attempt to build the entire platform internally before gaining field experience. Do not rely solely on existing operator relationships for protection.Integrate an SGP.32-ready bootstrap into your next hardware revision. Partner with providers such as Monogoto for the eIM and bootstrap profile to accelerate deployment. Learn from real-world usage, maintain control of your identity, and preserve flexibility.The enterprises that figure this out early will build a connectivity stack that becomes more flexible and resilient over time. The ones that don’t will spend the next decade managing the same SIM logistics they’ve managed for the last 20 years.

SGP.32 is redefining enterprise connectivity by shifting identity ownership from carriers to enterprises. Learn how software-defined eSIM architecture enables global IoT scalability, Zero Trust security, and multi-network flexibility.

Own Your Identity: Why SGP.32 Is the Most Important Shift in Enterprise Connectivity

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