Renesas Electronics Corporation and 5G/4G chips and module IoT provider Sequans Communications will partner to develop IoT modules based on Sequans' Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT platform. The modules are designed to provide IoT companies with an integrated microcontroller (MCU) plus connectivity platform that streamlines and simplifies IoT system design for many applications, including smart city, smart home, and industrial IoT. The collaboration between the two companies includes providing support for multiple network providers worldwide.

The first Renesas module based on Sequans Monarch is expected to be released within the end of the year, to be followed by additional modules with added features such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capabilities. The collaboration brings together the advanced LTE-M/NB-IoT technology of Sequans and the MCU leadership and marketing power of Renesas' sales channels, accelerating the deployment of IoT solutions worldwide.

Renesas and Sequans to collaborate on 5G/4G cellular IoT

"Our partnership with Sequans will expand our cellular IoT module offerings with 4G/5G cellular connectivity," said Roger Wendelken, Senior Vice President, Head of MCU Business, IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas. "Sequans has been a leader in IoT connectivity technology for many years and their Monarch technology delivers not only the industry's lowest power consumption, but also reliability and security. This collaboration enables us to offer a new suite of IoT modules alongside our MCUs, delivering the advanced capabilities that meet the application needs of our IoT customers."

"One of the biggest inhibitors to IoT success is the high complexity and cost of system design," said Georges Karam, Chief Executive Officer at Sequans. "Our collaboration with Renesas alleviates this by providing a pre-integrated platform that saves IoT customers time and money, so they can focus on their IoT service offerings."