AT&T officially launches LTE-M Button powered by Amazon Web Services

About a year ago, AT&T had launched its countrywide LTE-M for IoT (Internet of Things), and the second biggest wireless service provider in the United States then followed up that effort by joining forces with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in unveiling the LTE-M Button last December. Fast forwarding some five months later, the company is now making the LTE-M Button commercially available.

For those who missed the news when it broke a few months ago, just know that the LTE-M Button basically lets consumers request for IoT based services or tasks with just a single click. Similar to the Amazon Dash button, AT&T’s LTE-M Button comes with full support for one click ordering. This should prove handy for various manufacturers, who can integrate the button into containers that allow customers to quickly re-order (what that was inside the container) by clicking the button. 

Whereas the Amazon Dash button utilizes Wi-Fi to connect online, the LTE-M Button makes full use of the same LTE-M network that AT&T had rolled out in May of last year. This means that even when Wi-Fi connections are hard to come by, the LTE-M Button can still function as long as its location is covered by the carrier’s LTE-M network.

Of course, AT&T is also expecting diverse uses for its LTE-M Button later on. For instance, big venues such as sports arenas and conference centers can take full advantage of the buttons in order to provide connectivity for attendees when they are sending feedback or submitting votes. The LTE-M Button could also be useful for seniors or other vulnerable people, who could utilize the LTE-M Button button to request for assistance.

AT&T is offering its LTE-M Button at a price of $30, which is inclusive of 1,500 clicks and zero recurring service fees. The LTE-M Button, of course, is part of the national mobile operator’s IoT marketplace brand, which also sells development kits and data plans (which are priced as low as $3 per month on its LTE-M network).

But wait -- why use LTE-M? Connecting to LTE-M is generally considered less costly compared to the LTE network being accessed by today’s smartphone devices. The main reason is that gadgets that come with LTE-M connectivity are only capable of sending tiny amounts of data (and normally at irregular intervals), and require lesser power than phones. This is why using LTE-M works so well for IoT devices.