AT&T has signed roaming agreements with Canadian operators, including Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, and Telus, to support them in their endeavour towards the Internet of Things (IoT).

The American telco would provide Bell, Rogers, and Telus access to its LTE-M network across the US. As part of the mutual agreement, AT&T customers would be able to roam on these Canadian carriers’ national LTE-M networks in Canada and so does the Bell, Rogers, and Telus’ customers would be able to roam on AT&T’s LTE-M network in the US.

Chris Penrose, president of advanced mobility and enterprise solutions at AT&T, said: “More and more of our enterprise customers are launching IoT applications across international boundaries. Having access to the first North American footprint for LTE-M through these roaming agreements will help them simplify deployments, scale their IoT plans, and put them on the path to 5G.”

AT&T is expecting to start deployment of the technology in Mexico by the end of the year.

In August, AT&T started rolling out its 5G network in New York City. The network is of the 5G+ variety, which is the company’s moniker for its millimetre-wave network that is superfast but has limited range. In the same month, the company started working with Badger Technologies to bring autonomous robots equipped with 5G wireless networking capabilities to retail stores. The autonomous robots developed by Badger Technologies will help retailers improve their operational efficiencies and enhance customer experiences by identifying out-of-stock, mispriced or misplaced inventory, along with store hazards.

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