As an IoT pioneer, Sierra Wireless offers some of the smallest embedded wireless modules on the market to support business results. From gateways and boxes, to cloud management and connectivity, Sierra delivers end-to-end IoT support. The market leader is looking to dive headfirst into 5G, underscored by the announcement of AVIWEST selecting Sierra’s EM9191 5G New Radio (NR) module for mobile video encoding.
VP & GM of Sierra Wireless (News - Alert) IoT Products and Solutions Business Line, Olivier Pauzet explained in a recent interview, broadcasting video leveraging 4G is extremely complex and quite costly, noting “4G has limitations, and we are now in the Gigabit world. We knew 5G would offer new use cases.”
Pauzet exclaimed, “5G is expensive but it is much cheaper in the long run,” explaining the next generation networking technology can find favor in myriad ways – spanning robot and drone monitoring, to video surveillance, for example. There are more applications to come, that’s a promise.
“People like the capability of 5G, and we have done a lot of work to make it as easy as possible from anywhere in the world. We have done a lot of work to add value. We’ve used all of our secret sauce,” Pauzet stated. Adding, while the interest in 5G is there, customer education on integrating the next generation technology is critical, and Sierra is able to lean on connectivity and IoT expertise to share best practice insight.
This summer the world witnessed 5G take the main stage at the Tokyo Olympics. Pauzet illustrated, “From a tech standpoint, everyone was targeting the Olympics to demonstrate what 5G can do,” considering real-time HD video an exceptional use case to display.” Japan required a lot of work to be 5G ready, but it achieved intended goals, and 5G is ready for what’s next.
After about two years of R&D, certification, testing, the EM9191 5G module started shipment to early customers 9 months ago, and today is shipping globally.
The EM9191 family is growing. EM9292 is next in the roadmap, with an updated chipset, more availability to 5G brands and is moving 15 to 16 bands. Per Pauzet, it’s fair to expect regular intervals of improvement to the solution set.
“We make sure that together we are partnering with our customer so they get the technology to work. IoT is table stakes today. This was not the case a few years ago. Before COVID, you would send a guy, now you need to know in advance.”
Customer expectations are warranted, especially when working with an industry leader like Sierra, and Pauzet doubled-down on this notion, explaining, “Expect to get simplicity, scalability and security. This is what we do.” They say fortune favors the bold; Sierra is daring to take 5G where it’s never gone before. Please make sure your seats are in their locked and upright positions, it’s time for takeoff.