AT&T Teams Up with Amazon Web Services to Announce the LTE-M Button

Joining forces with Amazon Web Services, the second biggest wireless carrier in America is officially unveiling a new LTE-M based button that is specifically built to allow consumers to request for Internet of Things (IoT) related services or tasks with just one click. Indeed, the LTE-M Button takes full advantage of the IoT focused network that AT&T had earlier rolled out a few months ago. 

According to the official press release, the LTE-M Button offering will be launching within the first three months of 2018, with a special offer pricing of $30 for every LTE-M Button for the first 5,000 units purchased. As soon as the first 5,000 units are sold, the price will likely increase, but not more than forty bucks. Moreover, the pricing will already include data usage over the buton’s life cycle.

AT&T’s partnership with Amazon Web Services is nothing new. For the LTE-M Button, it enjoys full support from Amazon’s 1-Click service, which is a new undertaking that aims to help consumers and businesses use Amazon Web Services without having to go through a complicated configuration process.

AT&T and Amazon Web Services will be positioning the LTE-M Button as something that is ideal for businesses, especially with those open to the concept of the Internet of Things. As explained by Mike Troiano to FierceWireless, the vice president of Internet of Things Solutions at AT&T, the button will have a life cycle of about three years. 

Interestingly, Amazon already offers a sort of similar product called Dash, which comes with the ability to connect to Wi-Fi and is geared towards consumers with a less expensive $20 price compared to the LTE-M Button’s $30. AT&T’s button offering, however, provides more convenience and ease of use. And the LTE-M Button’s cellular connectivity is more effective in reaching remote locations, especially those that do not have any Wi-Fi networks available (rendering Dash unusable). Lastly, the LTE-M Button can be used immediately without much provisioning.

AT&T also notes as Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) network technologies continue to evolve, the prices of devices such as the LTE-M Button will surely drop in the years to come, without ever sacrificing its usefulness.

The number two wireless carrier in the United States has plans to debut an AT&T Internet of Things OBDII (On-board diagnostics Parameter ID) Kit that will grant customers of Amazon Web Services access to the AT&T Asset Management Operations Center (AMOC).