Terminology » LTE-MTC: Advantages and Disadvantages Explained

LTE-MTC: Advantages and Disadvantages Explained

Introduction : LTE-MTC, or LTE-M (Machine Type Communication), is a cellular IoT technology designed for low power, wide area connectivity. It supports smart meters, wearables and industrial IoT devices with extended coverage and low latency.

What is LTE-MTC?

Long Term Evolution for Machine Type Communication was standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in its Release 13 to specifically address the unique demands of machine to machine (M2M) communication.

Unlike standard LTE, which is designed for high-speed mobile broadband for smartphones, LTE-MTC is optimized for applications that require lower data rates, reduced power consumption, and lower costs, making it a crucial enabler for the widespread deployment of IoT devices. Following are the features of LTE-M or LTE-MTC.

Carrier Bandwidth : 1.4 MHz
Data rate : Up to 1 Mbps
Range : 5 Km
Duplexing : HD-FDD, FD-FDD, TDD
Modulation : QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
Power saving modes : PSM, DRx
Power class : 20 dBm, 23 dBm
Security : AES 256

Advantages of LTE-MTC

Following are some of the benefits of LTE-MTC.

It offers significantly reduced power consumption. This is achieved using power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX). These features allows devices to enter deep sleep state for extended periods and waking up only to transmit and receive data. This enables battery powered IoT devices to operate for several years on single charge.
LTE-MTC provides superior coverage compared to traditional LTE, especially in challenging locations like basements, deep indoors, or remote rural areas. It achieves this through techniques like signal repetition, which ensures reliable communication even in weak signal conditions.
Low device cost : The complexity of LTE-MTC devices is significantly reduced compared to standard LTE modems. They operate on a narrower bandwidth (1.4 MHz) and can use a single antenna, which simplifies the design and lowers the bill of materials. Hence it is possible to connect a massive number of devices at lower cost.
Unlike some other LPWAN technologies, LTE-MTC supports full mobility, meaning it can maintain a connection even when the device is moving.
While not as fast as standard LTE, LTE-MTC offers higher data rates (up to 1 Mbps) and lower latency (typically 10-20 milliseconds) than other LPWAN technologies like NB-IoT. This makes it suitable for applications that require a relatively quick response, such as some smart grid and industrial control systems.
LTE-MTC can support voice functionality through Voice over LTE (VoLTE), a key differentiator from many other IoT focused technologies. This is beneficial for applications like alarm systems and medical alert devices where voice communication might be necessary.

Disadvantages of LTE-MTC

Following are some of the limitations of LTE-MTC.

Its data rates are significantly lower than what is offered by standard 4G LTE. This makes it unsuitable for high bandwidth applications like video streaming or large file transfers.
While very power efficient, LTE-MTC generally consumes more power than its counterpart, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), due to its higher data rates and more frequent communication with the network.
The hardware modules for LTE-MTC are typically more expensive than those for NB-IoT, which can be a factor in extremely cost sensitive, large scale deployments.
While many operators have deployed LTE-M networks, global coverage is not yet as ubiquitous as standard LTE. The availability of LTE-MTC services can vary depending on the region and the specific mobile network operator.

Conclusion: LTE-MTC offers reliable, secure and cost effective connectivity for diverse IoT applications but may face limitations in bandwidth and global availability.