FAQ

Long term evolution (LTE) is a fourth-generation (4G) wireless standard that was introduced by the 3GPP consortium to provide higher network capacity and increased speed for cellular communication.

LTE-M, also known as LTE Cat M1 or eMTC, is a variant of the LTE standard that has been specifically introduced to support IoT applications that require less battery power and wider coverage.

NB-IoT is a narrow band LPWAN technology that operates in the licensed band and can coexist with LTE or GSM bands. The NB-IoT protocol is built on the LTE paradigm where it reuses the different building blocks and components of the physical and upper layers of the LTE protocol stack. NB-IoT reduces the protocol stack functionalities of LTE to a minimum and modifies them to fit the requirements of IoT applications.

An updated list of participating patent owners can be found at the following link. A licence under the Sisvel Cellular IoT programme covers all patents that are essential to the LTE-M and NB-IoT standards held by these companies.

If you manufacture any IoT devices implementing LTE-M or NB-IoT, or if you are in the process of bringing such a device to market, you should contact us to obtain a licence under the programme.

A licence under the Sisvel Cellular IoT programme covers all patents that are essential to the LTE-M and NB-IoT standards held by entities currently participating in the programme (see patent owners section) and all new ones that join in the future. Any new patents essential to the standards that these entities may come into possession of during the lifetime of the licence are also covered.

The licence covers complete and ready to use products. Intermediary products and components are not licenced under this programme.

The licence covers both LTE-M and NB-IoT.

The Sisvel Cellular IoT programme offers a worldwide licence.

Please see Licence Terms.

The LTE-M royalty rate covers both LTE-M and NB-IoT, meaning that an LTE-M/NB-IoT product is only subject to the LTE-M royalty rate. 

The first step is for Sisvel and a potential licensee to establish contact. Once this happens, Sisvel will explain how a licence under the programme works. A licensee will also be able to ask questions; for example, about the scope of the licence and the products it will cover.

The process is completed when the parties have signed the licence agreement. After this, the parties will stay in contact during the course of the licence in connection with, for example, the licensee’s royalty reporting.

When a potential licensee is ready to sign an agreement and has provided relevant company information (e.g., name, address and contact details), Sisvel stands ready to support the preparation of a signature version of the agreement and assist throughout the signature process.

Today, most of our licence agreements are formalised using electronic signatures, but they can also be signed with ink on a hard copy.

The licence agreement is concluded when both the licensee and Sisvel have signed the agreement. It remains in force for the duration of the licensed term, or otherwise as set forth in its terms and conditions.

The standard term of the licence is five years.

Licensees must report the sales of licensed products made or sold on a calendar quarterly basis.

No.

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Data concentrators include devices that process data measurements before transmitting it. A data concentrator aggregates or buffers sensor/tracking/utility/metering data to improve network efficiency or decrease energy consumption, process the data by (for example) filtering, formatting, summarizing/reducing the data, protocol translation, adding security protocols or otherwise managing or optimizing the data flow before sending the information towards a central information hub.Certain data concentrators may be licensed under our C-IoT program, please see the license terms for applicable license scope and limitations

If you purchase modules from a supplier that has entered into an agreement with Sisvel, you may obtain the end-product licence at the time of module purchase. The license will be obtained by signing a separate sublicensing agreement. Simply ask your supplier’s sales representative for details on eligibility and licensing terms.

Only suppliers that are part of Sisvel’s licensing framework can offer the end-product licence during module purchase. You can check the list of partnered suppliers on Sisvel’s website or verify a supplier’s status directly with Sisvel.

No. The Sisvel licence is not automatically included when purchasing modules from partnered suppliers. You will only receive the licence if you have expressly agreed to take the licence via that supplier as part of the purchase process.

You should verify the supplier’s status directly with Sisvel. Only suppliers that has entered into an agreement with Sisvel are authorized to offer this sub licensing agreement under this program.