Semtech Corporation is a high-performance semiconductor, IoT systems and Cloud connectivity service provider dedicated to delivering high quality technology solutions that enable a smarter, more connected and sustainable planet.
In the realm of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging, Semtech® is a cellular operator designed for high resilience, and is also a manufacturer of 5G LTE Cellular Routers and Cellular Modules.
Semtech’s Raphael Atayi an expert in EV Charging Cellular Connectivity, explains: “Charge point operators (CPOs) need a partner that is responsible for the link between the chargers – located in remote areas – and the platform. This link must be reliable and secure.”
“Additionally, it must be capable of overcoming all classical challenges faced by standard cellular connectivity,” he adds.
Semtech’s mission is to be that partner.
The company has invested several years in helping CPOs operate in any location they choose and in overcoming the challenges they face regarding connectivity, which, according to Atayi, is “the most critical parameter in their business.”
“If you don’t have connectivity, you don’t have a business. And for an operator, their entire business depends on connectivity,” the expert notes.
On the one hand, the company works with new CPOs, who aspire for their businesses to be available and reliable at all times.
“With them, we share our expertise, show them the pitfalls they need to avoid, and help them overcome these to ensure their business is sustainable with good connectivity,” Atayi explains.
On the other hand, Semtech works with CPOs who already have an established business.
“They think they have to live with the temporary loss of connectivity at charging points. They believe it’s normal because they think a SIM card is just like any other and that they won’t find any differences between two providers,” he says.
“This is more complex, as we have to explain all the mechanisms that will enable them to overcome these challenges,” he adds.
To help them, Semtech enables them to test Smart Connectivity, and once they realise the situation can be different, they work closely to resolve any specific issues they may have.
“It’s not uncommon to see the same operator, using two chargers of the same type, encounter different problems on the same street. That’s exactly where we need to assist them,” the expert points out.
For example, one of the most interesting projects the company has worked on involves its experience with eWays, which operates in the Nordic countries.
This CPO was facing issues in specific areas, such as indoor parking structures.
“If they wanted to operate in those parking spaces, they would have had to contract two different operators to get coverage,” the expert says.
“However, we offered them our Smart Connectivity®, and it worked, as they were able to automatically, with a single SIM,obtain coverage from multiple operators,” he adds.
Not only that, but it also simplified their logistics.
“With just one contract and one route, they could access any location they wanted. So, they decided to expand into other countries they had in their sights,” Atayi concludes.
What Are Semtech’s Solutions?
The company offers several innovations and mechanisms that enable them to overcome connectivity loss, which can lead to network interruptions.
One of these is “Smart Connectivity Premium”, a SIM card that integrates multiple operator profiles to bypass the permanent roaming restriction.
This makes it easier for an operator to expand their presence across different countries.
The second innovation is designed for CPOs who do not want to worry about connectivity and prefer to focus on deploying the infrastructure.
For them, the company offers what they call “Managed Broadband Access”.
Semtech provides all the building blocks needed to achieve connectivity and operates these blocks on their behalf.
“This means we handle everything related to connectivity, and they only need to focus on operating the charging network,” Atayi explains.
“Our aim is to become the foundation of what we call the seamless charging experience,” he adds.
By making EV Charging infrastructure more dependable, drivers will be more inclined to switch from internal combustion vehicles to electric ones vs. the situation that many EV drivers face today is arriving at a charging station only to see a fraction of available chargers working.
How Does Semtech Eliminate Potential Failure Points?
The company has a global network operations centre, which monitors the network quality and any issues that may arise 24/7 and proactively provides notifications to the CPOs of any anomalies.
“This enables highly resilient connectivity,” assures the expert.
The system integrates multiple identities and profiles, allowing a charger to connect to various operators in the same area when coverage permits.
Thus, if a connectivity issue arises, the charger can self-recover without any human intervention.
Regarding the platform, Atayi explains: “We have server redundancy to ensure business continuity because failures can happen, especially on the cellular networks, that’s normal as perturbation can occur.”
“That’s why we deploy all the necessary processes to anticipate and overcome them so the charger always remains connected,” he adds.
More About Semtech
Semtech, founded in 1960, offers its connectivity services globally in over 190 countries.
“This makes sense because the adoption of electric vehicles is becoming global, and with us, they can find a connectivity solution anywhere,” says Atayi.
“Cellular connectivity is important because there are countries that are more complex to access than others. That’s Semtech’s role: to handle all the complexity, deal with local authorities, and make agreements with local partners to ensure everything runs smoothly,” he adds.
Semtech will be present at Move America in late September and at the London EV Show from the 26th to the 28th of November.
*Semtech, the Semtech logo, LoRa®, LoRaWAN®, and Smart Connectivity® are registered trademarks or service marks of Semtech Corporation or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners*
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