Acklio achieves world’s most efficient, end-to-end secure communications for smart metering and critical infrastructures with SCHC for NB-IoT and LTE-M

Rennes, France – November 25, 2022

NB-IoT and LTE-M are pillars of IoT connectivity and at the core of the future 5G IoT connectivity. They are prime candidates for any critical infrastructure deployment. A significant part of the billions of devices will be connected with these technologies – e.g. Smart Water, Smart Gas and Smart Electricity Meters, EV charging stations, Industrial Systems. The number of devices to be deployed will increase 20x+ in the coming years. Battery life, energy consumption, and high-density operations with minimal network usage will become critical to the continued success of these deployments. Acklio SCHC takes cellular IoT to the theoretical limit of what is possible through a simple software update.

SCHC, pronounced “chic” (Static Context Header Compression, RFC 8724), is the new generation of compression and fragmentation defined by the IETF. It allows for a communication network to reach the theoretical limit in terms of efficiency. SCHC takes advantage of the predictable nature of IoT traffic and avoids synchronization between network entities. In this way, it considerably reduces the volume of data carried over networks, and thus the efficiency of all parts of the system.

At its core, SCHC enables the highest level of efficiency on a scale never achieved before, while ensuring standards-based end-to-end security and interoperability.

As the pioneer and worldwide leader of SCHC, Acklio provides the reference SCHC implementation for any scalable project launched globally. It brings to operators, device manufacturers and solution integrators an industry-grade off-the-shelf modular software suite, endorsed by key market players and field-validated by utilities.

In addition to efficient IPv6 over NB-IoT/LTE-M, Acklio SCHC integrates the World’s most-efficient end-to-end, scalable security layer based on standard DTLS with CID. A unique IoT VPN service built on-top of it provides super-efficient, end-to-end secure IP-based communication to any device or gateway.

Building a service with Acklio SCHC is a seamless, entirely plug-and-play process that delivers immediate benefits in terms of reduced data usage (40%-90% less data), improved energy efficiency (30%-70% less energy consumed by the communication module), and more devices in the network (up to 7x more per cell). Combined with the leading performance of the Sierra Wireless HL78 module series in terms of both power efficiency and high coverage at 23dBm to 26dBm, this translates directly into tangible ROI for all parties involved.

Acklio, together with Sierra Wireless, today brings in a world-first: an efficient, secure, SCHC-optimized communication stack on a cellular LPWA module that also supports an integrated SIM for seamless operation and accelerated go-to-market for its customers. This is available on three Sierra Wireless LTE-M/NB-IoT module variants: the HL7845 with support for public mobile networks and dedicated 410/450MHz networks, and the HL7810/HL7812 for public mobile networks with extended public band supports.

Acklio is adding the full range of NB-IoT/LTE-M connectivity options to its developer program, including a comprehensive set of tools to learn, prototype and showcase IP-based solutions, with access to:

Acklio Cloud platform,
Acklio SCHC embedded library with reference designs for varied target environments,
IoT VPN and super-efficient DTLS stack (SCHC/CID),
Turnkey example applications for a smooth onboarding,
And the full technical documentation.

Access is free for up to 50 devices. To date, the kit includes reference designs for modules and shields, including Sierra Wireless. The Acklio Cloud platform is available for IPv4 and IPv6 NB-IoT/LTE-M networks, as well as for Non-IP Data Delivery networks.

Tom Mueller, VP Product Management at Sierra Wireless: “We are thrilled to be able to deliver our newest HL78 LPWA module family to support customers together with Acklio. The SCHC technology is especially interested in constrained communication contexts such as LTE-M and NB-IoT, and we are glad to be able to support even more challenging use cases, especially in the energy industry, with this offering.”

Alexander Pelov, CEO of Acklio: “Getting the most out of every bit sent over the air, getting the most efficient network possible with the longest battery life imaginable, while keeping perfect security and interoperability – this has always been the key driver behind our quest to developing and standardizing SCHC. We are thrilled to bring this cutting-edge technology to the market in a record time, and to provide all necessary resources for anyone to experiment, learn and start building the next generation of successful large-scale deployments.”

➡️ Information and registration: www.ackl.io/developer/cellular-iot

➡️ Learn more on Acklio solution: webinar Non-IP data delivery – NB-IoT & LTE-M hosted by IoT Creators.

About Acklio

Expert in communication protocols, Acklio innovates on the Internet of Things market with a software suite bringing significant benefits for interoperability, security and energy efficiency of IoT deployments. Acklio’s co-founders pioneered a technology that brings the ability to transport IP-based applications to the new constrained networks of the IoT. This mechanism, called SCHC for “Static Context Header Compression”, was published as an IETF standard in 2020. As the international leader of SCHC, Acklio’s software enhances the efficiency, accelerates the time to market and ensures the long-term sustainability of IoT solutions. www.ackl.io

About Sierra Wireless

Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW) is a world leading IoT solutions provider that combines devices, network services, and software to unlock value in the connected economy. Companies globally are adopting 4G, 5G, and LPWA solutions to improve operational efficiency, create better customer experiences, improve their business models, and create new revenue streams. Sierra Wireless works with its customers to develop the right industry-specific solution for their IoT deployments, whether this is an integrated solution to help connect edge devices to the cloud, a software/API service to manage processes with billions of connected assets, or a platform to extract real-time data to improve business decisions. With more than 25 years of cellular IoT experience, Sierra Wireless is the global partner customers trust to deliver them their next IoT solution. For more information, visit www.sierrawireless.com.

Connect with Sierra Wireless on the IoT Blog at http://www.sierrawireless.com/iot-blog, on Twitter at @SierraWireless, on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/sierra-wireless and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/SierraWireless.