Airgain announced the launch of the NimbeLink Skywire Cat 1 bis Embedded Modem, the industry’s first plug-and-play Cat 1 bis modem for end applications in industrial IoT. Engineered to streamline cellular integration for a wide range of applications, this new modem marks a major leap forward in simplifying and accelerating IoT deployments across industrial, healthcare, logistics, and smart city environments.
Built on next-generation Cat 1 bis technology, the Skywire Cat 1 bis modem offers the ideal balance of performance, power efficiency, and cost—particularly well suited for IoT devices that require moderate data rates, global network coverage, and long-term deployment. Unlike traditional cellular modules, which require time-consuming and costly certification, Airgain’s modem comes pre-certified as an end device, allowing customers to bypass most regulatory bottlenecks and bring solutions to market up to 80% faster.
“The launch of our Cat 1 bis modem represents a meaningful step forward in simplifying cellular connectivity for IoT,” said Joe Porrazzo, Senior Director of Product, Airgain. “By combining end-device certification, plug-and-play integration, and global carrier support in a compact form factor, we’re helping customers reduce complexity, speed up development cycles, and deploy with rapid time-to-market.”
To help developers and product teams navigate the evolving landscape of low-power cellular technologies, Airgain is hosting a free webinar: ‘Choosing the Right LTE Modem for Your IoT Application’. Join our experts as we break down Cat 1, Cat 1 bis, Cat M, and other key options to help you make the right decision for your next design.
As LTE networks evolve and older 2G/3G technologies are being sunset, Cat 1 bis has emerged as the new baseline for reliable, globally compatible IoT connectivity. Offering single-antenna design (lower BOM cost), extended coverage in hard-to-reach areas, and improved power efficiency, Cat 1 bis is well suited for smart meters, asset trackers, sensors, gateways, and remote monitoring systems. Airgain’s Cat 1 bis modem also delivers Cat 1-class performance at nearly the same price point as Cat M modules—making it an ideal upgrade path for developers looking to reduce costs without sacrificing speed or reliability.
Key benefits:
- Certified for end device applications: pre-certified on select global networks to eliminate most regulatory certification hurdles
- Plug-and-play: standard Skywire 20-pin footprint enables drop-in replacement for existing designs
- Cost optimised: MSRP 20–30% lower than previous Cat 1 solutions
- Global carrier support: available in North American (TC1bisNAG) and Worldwide (QC1bisWWG) versions
- Compact and durable: industrial-grade form factor (29 x 33.9 x 10.8 mm) optimized for space-constrained applications
- Future proof: built on the latest Telit and Quectel Cat 1 bis cellular modules
The Skywire Cat 1 bis modem is available now for evaluation, with immediate commercial availability. Customers can access development kits, reference designs, and migration guides to enable a seamless integration process. The Cat 1 bis modem is available through Airgain’s authorised distribution partners, including DigiKey, Braemac, Mouser, GetWireless, Arrow, and Richardson.
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