LTE-M / GNSS pager

LTEM / GNSS Pager for Security Organisations

Client: HK.Digital GmbH, Germany
Website: hk.digital/iot–loesungen/pager–fred
IoT application: Pager system for fire brigades, rescue services, nursing and security personnel
Radio technology/protocols: LTE–M, dual SIM roaming, GNSS
Frequency range: 798–960 MHz, 1750–2200 MHz (LTE-M), 1559–1609 MHz (GNSS)
Type of antennas: GNSS: 0-Euro loop antenna, LTE-M Sub-GHz: custom PCB track antenna, LTE-M ≥1750 MHz: 0-Euro loop antenna, combined diplexer
Task: Optimisation of antenna performance for existing pager
Solution: Integration of separate antennas with diplexer for different LTE bands
Special features: Cost-optimised radio solution with reduced BOM, dual SIM for best possible network coverage, alarm button for personnel safety, robust design.

HK Digital’s goal: a pager for emergencies that is reliable, robust and competitively priced. Fire brigades, rescue services and nursing staff need to be alerted within seconds – but traditional pager solutions are expensive to produce and inflexible in terms of network and frequency coverage.

The sticking point in the project was the antenna solution. LTE-M and GNSS require multiband support with precise receiving, usually with chip antennas in the price range of 30 to 80 pence per unit. With quantities in the tens of thousands, these components have a massive impact on the overall cost.

We solved this cost pressure:

GNSS: Instead of an expensive chip antenna, a zero-Euro loop antenna was used. Comparable antennas cost around 20 Euro on the market – the savings per device are considerable.
LTE-M: By combining a customised PCB track antenna (Sub-GHz) with a second loop antenna (from 1750 MHz), all frequency bands could be covered. Instead of an expensive multiband module, a simple 10-cent diplexer combines both signals.

This antenna concept reduced the BOM by around 1 Euro per device. For large volumes, this saves customers tens of thousands of Euro annually. And performance increased at the same time. Over 98% of all alarm messages reach their recipients in less than eleven seconds.

Advantages for the customer

With F.R.E.D., HK Digital was able to offer a pager system that is not only technically impressive, but also unbeatable in terms of cost.

Direct cost savings due to the elimination of expensive antennas.
Better margin per device with the same quality standard.
Future-proof because the antenna solution can be flexibly optimised for different markets.

This means that every pager delivered not only represents a technological advantage, but also a tangible competitive advantage.

Optimise Your IoT Communication

If you too would like to develop your IoT hardware with minimal BOM and maximum radio performance, we can support you. Whether antenna matching, antenna design or complete IoT device development – we deliver robust solutions that reduce costs and increase radio performance.