At MWC 2025 in Barcelona, Counterpoint’s VP of Research, Neil Shah, and Senior Analyst Tina Lu sat down with Sony Semiconductor Israel’s CEO, Nohik Semel, to discuss the company’s journey and leadership in the cellular IoT market, particularly in LPWA technologies. Nohik highlights the company’s customer-centric approach, focusing on ultra-low power for battery-operated devices like smart meters and expanding into asset tracking using GNSS positioning technology and future focus on 5G and NTN.

The Interview

Key takeaways from the discussion:

•    Sony’s IoT journey: The company transitioned from standalone 4G broadband to fully focusing on IoT around 2016, as broadband became commoditized.
•    Customized solutions: Built ultra-low power, highly tailored cellular IoT solutions – especially for battery-operated devices like water, gas, and heat meters.
•    Leadership in smart metering: Sony Semiconductor Israel dominates smart metering with long device lifecycles (7-15+ years) and recurring business from global utility deployments.
•    Tech evolution: Progressed from Cat-1 to LTE-M/NB-IoT, with innovations like integrated microcontrollers and sub-GHz radios for mesh networks.
•    Cat 1 vs LTE-M: Cat 1 bis module reduces costs but lacks efficiency and features. LTE-M offers better bandwidth usage and longer battery life.
•    5G Vision: Developing eRedCap-based 5G solutions to eventually replace Cat-1 and expand low-power IoT offerings.
•    Asset tracking, next area of focus: Targeting ultra-low power asset tracking using Sony’s GNSS IP – especially for B2B logistics and inventory management.
•    Global market trends: Advanced markets (US, Japan, Australia) are entering 2nd/3rd deployment waves, while others begin with first-gen rollouts.
•    AI Integration: AI is used for internal optimization and supports on-device AI inference via built-in microcontrollers for customer use cases.

Analyst Takeaways

•    LTE-M as a technology is here to stay for a long time as LTE-M is now integrated into 5G technology as part of 3GPP Release 15. Counterpoint forecasts the LTE-M market to expand at an annual growth rate of 33% over the next six years. The growth is likely to come from most markets outside of China. Sony Semiconductor Israel is well placed to benefit from the growth in the LTE-M market as it is the second-largest player in this growing market.
•    Currently, 4G is the dominant cellular technology in IoT. However, a transition to 5G – particularly 5G RedCap – is expected in the near future. With network readiness anticipated within the next few years, Sony Semiconductor Israel has already initiated development efforts in this area.
•    With the growing availability of satellites, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) have become an integral part of the 3GPP ecosystem. Satellite technology is projected to experience significant growth, particularly in mission-critical applications. Sony Semiconductor Israel has introduced a cellular chipset with integrated NTN capabilities, strengthening its competitive edge and supporting its leadership position within the sector and in key technology domains. Sony Semiconductor Israel’s leadership in the IoT chipset market is expected to fuel its continued growth, leveraging its strong position in the Western IoT markets and applications such as smart meters and asset tracking. The company also maintains strong relationships with major telecom operators like NTT and KDDI for 5G.