We are excited to announce a new firmware update (v3134) for the Soracom LTE-M Button, packed with enhancements and new features to improve functionality and user experience.

Features and improvements

New Alert mode

This firmware introduces a new Alert mode. Like the standard click function, this mode will send an uplink message when the button is clicked. However, this mode prioritizes sending the uplink message without any extra delays, and will disable the ability to accidentally cancel uplink messages to ensure that clicks are delivered, making it useful for emergency situations.

Alert mode also features a new configurable Network Standby setting which will keep the network connection open for a short period after every uplink, so that subsequent clicks can be sent immediately without the need to reconnect. Alert mode can also be combined with the existing Heartbeat behavior so that you can identify if a button has lost coverage or needs new batteries.

Battery voltage in all messages

Battery voltage, previously reported only in Status and Heartbeat uplink messages, is now included in all uplink messages. Now, no matter if you are using the standard Event (click) modes, the Timer mode, or the new Alert mode, you can monitor your button's battery voltage without the need to separately trigger a Status message or enable Heartbeat.

Automatic Status message

This firmware now features a setting to automatically send a Status message every 24 hours. When enabled, this setting allows for remotely modifying a button's operating mode or settings, without requiring any user interaction. The Status message can also be used to trigger a firmware update if available, allowing the button to stay updated similarly without any user interaction.

Better LED patterns

The LED will now show 1 short blink, 2 short blinks, or 1 long blink corresponding to the type of click detected, allowing a user to visually confirm their intended click. In addition, the LED will now blink slowly when connecting to a network, and quickly once connected and sending the uplink message. Finally, when the button is configured for the new Alert mode, the LED will blink orange after each click, making it easy to differentiate from other modes.

Bug fixes

(Breaking change) Fixed incorrect Rising and Falling edge events

The Rising and Falling edge events in firmware v2220 were mistakenly implemented in reverse, resulting in the button data indicating "Rising edge" instead of "Falling edge" when a circuit using the 2-wire accessory is closed, and vice-versa. As this may have an impact on some circuit designs, these values have been swapped in the new firmware in order to match the original intended behavior:

• v2220 behavior:
  • When a circuit is closed, the button data indicates a “Rising edge” event
  • When a circuit is opened, the button data indicates “Falling edge” event
• v3134 behavior:
  • When a circuit is closed, the button data indicates “Falling edge” event
  • When a circuit is opened, the button data indicates “Rising edge” event

In order to avoid breaking existing applications, the v2220 behavior has not been altered. However, if your application relies on separating Rising and Falling edge events, please note that you will need to switch your application logic when updating to v3134.

Note: Due to hardware limitations, the button may still occasionally incorrectly detect the type of edge event (Rising or Falling). While enabling edge debounce can reduce this issue, incorrect detections may still occur due to an inconsistent or noisy signal from a loose wire, faulty switch, or other circuit components.

Removed unexpected TCP uplink message

In v2220, the button periodically sends a TCP uplink message to Soracom Beam. This message was used for testing and does not contain any user data, however as the button sends actual button data via UDP and a Soracom Beam TCP configuration is not required, a “configuration not found” error would occur. This TCP uplink message has been removed from the new firmware.

How to update

To update your button firmware, please contact the Soracom Support team with the ICCID(s) of your button(s) in order to receive firmware update instructions and for additional assistance. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you are unsure of whether your button has the latest firmware, or if you have any other questions or concerns.

We are excited to announce that users can now add SoraCam compatible cameras to their Soracom account directly through the Soracom User Console.

Previously, users had to separately install and use the ATOM app when setting up their cameras. This update simplifies the process, making it easier to get started with SoraCam.

To add a SoraCam compatible camera to your Soracom account:

1. Sign in to the Soracom User Console
2. Click Menu → SORACOM Cloud Camera Services → Devices
3. Click Add new device, and follow the instructions

For more details, please refer to the Install (Add) a SoraCam Compatible Camera (Japanese) documentation.

We are excited to announce that the Soracom Beam TCP to HTTP/HTTPS Entry Point now supports Soracom Binary Format v1. While previously only available for Soracom Funnel, this format allows for the efficient transfer of binary data by allowing a device to send data in multiple TCP segments and then combining the segments before forwarding them to the configured destination.

With this update, you can now use this format with the Soracom Beam TCP to HTTP/HTTPS Entry Point:

Soracom Binary Format v1 is designed for sending binary data via TCP, allowing for a payload up to 65535 bytes. The format consists of a 2-byte message length field, the message body, and a 2-byte checksum calculated using CRC-16 CCITT. This structure ensures data integrity during transmission. The binary data is then encoded to Base64 for transfer. This format is particularly useful for IoT devices, enabling efficient data communication to cloud services through Soracom Funnel.

This feature is currently available in Public Beta

We welcome any feedback you may have. If you would like to reach out, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Soracom Support team.

As mentioned in our previous announcement, we have changed the reference database of base station location information used by the Cell Location feature and its corresponding getCellLocation and batchGetCellLocations APIs to OpenCelliD. This change is now effective as of June 3, 2024.

As a reminder, please kindly note the following impact of this update:

• All data obtained through the Cell Location feature (and aforementioned APIs) is subject to the CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. If you are using this data, please review the terms of the license and make any necessary adjustments to ensure compliance.
• Location information that was previously not available may now be available.
• Location information that was previously available may no longer be available.
• Other aspects of location information, such as geographic position or accuracy, may change.

For additional details, please refer to our previous announcement.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact the Soracom Support team.

We are pleased to announce that we will be adding support for the WebSocket real-time communication protocol to the Soracom Beam Website Entry Point. While WebSocket support has been available as a Limited Preview since our previous announcement, with this update, WebSocket functionality will now be available as a Public Beta without needing to submit an application.

Together with today's release, we would like to inform customers of the upcoming schedule for updating the existing Soracom Beam Website Entry Point to support WebSocket connections. If you have been using the WebSocket-supported entry point since the previous Limited Preview announcement or are planning to use WebSocket connections, we kindly request you to carefully review the following information.

New WebSocket-supported Soracom Beam Website Entry Points

Starting today, the following temporary WebSocket-supported Soracom Beam Website Entry Points are now available:

• beam.soracom.io:10080
• beam.soracom.io:10081

If you would like to begin testing WebSocket functionality, you may use these entry points.

Please note that the existing Soracom Beam Website Entry Point beam.soracom.io:18080 does not yet support WebSocket connections.

Updates to the existing Soracom Beam Website Entry Point

Starting on July 1, 2024, we will begin updating the existing Soracom Beam Website Entry Point beam.soracom.io:18080 to support WebSocket connections. This update will take place over several days.

Once the main entry point has been successfully updated, the temporary entry points mentioned above will be discontinued. You will then be able to continue using WebSocket connections with the main entry point.

Effective dates and What to do

If you have been or would like to begin using WebSocket connections:

• Starting today, use the following temporary Websocket-supported Soracom Beam Website Entry Points:
  • beam.soracom.io:10080
  • beam.soracom.io:10081
• Starting on July 1, 2024, Soracom will begin updating the existing Soracom Beam Website Entry Point to support WebSocket connections.
• Once the update to the existing entry point is complete, stop using the above temporary entry points and switch back to the existing entry point:
  • beam.soracom.io:18080

If you are using the existing Soracom Beam Website Entry Point but have no need for WebSocket connections, or if you are using other Soracom Beam entry points, this update will not affect you and no action is necessary.

For additional details, please refer to the Website Entry Point (WebSocket-supported version) documentation (Japanese).

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact the Soracom Support team.

We have added a new feature to Soracom Cloud Camera Services (SoraCam) that allows users to share compatible cameras with other operators.

The following functions, which previously were only available in the ATOM app, are now available in the Soracom User Console:

• Share a SoraCam compatible camera that is in your account with another operator.
• Accept or reject cameras shared to you from another operator.
• Cancel the sharing of a compatible camera that you have shared.

For detailed instructions on using these functions, please refer to the SoraCam: Sharing Compatible Cameras documentation (Japanese).

We are pleased to announce the aiwa tab AB10L, a SIM-free 10.1-inch Android 13 tablet that can fit a wide variety of use cases, which is now available in the Soracom IoT Store.

aiwa tab AB10L

• Availability: Japan
• Price: 22,000 yen (tax included, shipping not included)
• Bundled with 1,000 yen SORACOM platform coupon (valid for 6 months, applicable only to services under Japan Coverage)

For more details, please refer to the product page (Japanese).

We are pleased to announce the following coverage updates for Soracom Air for Cellular connectivity.

planX3 and planX3-EU

Coverage updates

Country	Networks	Before	→	After
Bermuda	Digicel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE (*3)
Cambodia	Cellcard	-	→	2G (*3)
Denmark	TDC	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Estonia	Elisa	-	→	2G, 4G LTE
Ghana	MTN	-	→	2G, 3G (*3)
Hungary	Vodafone	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Italy	Iliad	-	→	3G, 4G LTE
Italy	Wind	-	→	3G, 4G LTE
Mexico	Telefonica	-	→	2G (*3)
Morocco	IAM	-	→	2G (*3)
Mozambic	Vodacom	-	→	2G (*3)
Nigeria	MTN	-	→	2G, 3G (*3)
Oman	Omantel	2G, 3G	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE (*3)
Senegal	Free	2G, 3G	→	Network shutdown (*3)
Serbia	A1	2G	→	2G, 4G LTE
Serbia	Telekom	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Slovenia	A1	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Switzerland	Sunrise	2G, 3G	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Taiwan	T Star	2G	→	2G, 4G LTE (*3)
Uruguay	Antel	-	→	2G, 3G (*3)
United Kingdom	H3G	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE

(*1) 2G network sunset/shutdown

(*2) 3G network sunset/shutdown

(*3) planX3 only

We are pleased to announce the following LPWAN coverage updates for Soracom Air for Cellular connectivity.

planX3 and planX3-EU

Country	Networks	Before	Change	After
Denmark	Telenor	2G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1 (Beta)	LTE Cat.M1 upgraded from Beta	2G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1
Finland	DNA	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1 (Beta), NB-IoT (Beta)	LTE Cat.M1 upgraded from Beta	2G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1, NB-IoT (Beta) (*2)
Romania	Orange	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1 (Beta)	LTE Cat.M1 upgraded from Beta	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1
Slovakia	Orange	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1 (Beta)	LTE Cat.M1 upgraded from Beta	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1, NB-IoT
Sweden	Telenor	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1 (Beta)	LTE Cat.M1 upgraded from Beta	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE Cat.M1

(*2) 3G network sunset/shutdown

planP1

Coverage updates

Country	Networks	Before	→	After
Czech Republic	Vodafone	-	→	2G, 4G LTE
Estonia	Elisa	-	→	2G, 4G LTE
Netherlands	Vodafone	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Netherlands	KPN	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Norway	Telia	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Mexico	AT&T	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Singapore	Starhub	-	→	3G, 4G LTE
Slovenia	A1	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)

(*2) 3G network sunset/shutdown

Postponement of Soracom Lagoon 2 service discontinuation

We previously announced that the Soracom Lagoon 2 service would be discontinued on May 31, 2024. However, we have identified an issue of duplicated alerts in Lagoon 3 that may affect some customers and have decided to postpone the discontinuation.

This postponement will allow us to investigate the cause and implement appropriate measures. However, at this time we have not yet determined the new date for Lagoon 2 service discontinuation.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue and greatly appreciate your understanding and patienc

Request for migration to Lagoon 3

For any customers who have not yet migrated to Lagoon 3, we kindly request you to do so as soon as possible in order to determine if you are affected by this or other issues, and so that we may assist you promptly.

We thank you for your cooperation as we work to resolve these issues and improve the quality and stability of the Lagoon service.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

We are pleased to announce the following coverage updates for Soracom Air for Cellular connectivity.

plan01s and plan01s - Low Data Volume

Coverage updates

Country	Networks	Before	→	After
Armenia	Vivacell	-	→	2G, 3G
Brunei	UNN	-	→	2G, 3G
Burkina Faso	Orange	-	→	2G, 3G
Canada	SaskTel	3G	→	3G, 4G LTE
Canada	Videotron	-	→	3G, 4G LTE
Chile	Movistar	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Colombia	Comcel (Claro)	2G, 3G	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Congo	Airtel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Costa Rica	Movistar	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Denmark	TDC	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Denmark	Telia	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
El Salvador	Digicel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Estonia	Telia	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Greece	Wind	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Greenland	Tele	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Grenada	Flow	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Guadeloupe	Digicel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Haiti	Natcom	2G, 3G	→	2G (*2)
Honduras	Claro	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Hungary	Telekom.hu	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Indonesia	Telkomsel	2G	→	2G, 4G LTE
Israel	Pelephone	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Kazakhstan	K-Cell	2G, 3G	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Lithuania	Telia	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Luxembourg	Post	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
Macau	CTM	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Martinique	Digicel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Monaco	Monaco Telecom	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Nepal	NTC	-	→	2G, 3G
Panama	Claro	2G, 3G	→	Network shutdown
Panama	Movil	-	→	2G, 3G
Puerto Rico	AT&T	3G, 4G LTE	→	Network shutdown
Reunion	Orange	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Romania	Digi Mobile	3G, 4G LTE	→	4G LTE (*2)
Saudi Arabia	STC	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Saudi Arabia	Zain	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	Network shutdown
Slovenia	A1	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	2G, 4G LTE (*2)
South Africa	MTN	2G, 3G	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
St. Barthelemy	Digicel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
St. Martin	Digicel	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
St. Vincent & Grenadines	Flow	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Switzerland	Sunrise	2G, 3G, 4G LTE	→	3G, 4G LTE (*1)
Uganda	Airtel	2G, 3G	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Uganda	MTN	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Uruguay	Antel	-	→	2G, 4G LTE
US Virgin Islands	AT&T	3G, 4G LTE	→	Network shutdown
Uzbekistan	Ucell	-	→	2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Vietnam	Gmobile	2G, 3G	→	Network shutdown

(*1) 2G network sunset/shutdown

(*2) 3G network sunset/shutdown

We are pleased to announce that 5G-NSA (5G non standalone) coverage for plan01s is now available in the following countries.

• Azerbaijan - Bakcell
• Canada - SaskTel
• Cyprus - Epic
• Denmark - TDC
• Greece - Cosmote & Wind
• Hong Kong - CSL
• Luxembourg - Post
• Singapore - SingTel
• South Korea - SK Telecom
• United Kingdom - O2

For complete details about data rates, supported carriers and radio types, and coverage in other countries, please refer to the Supported Carriers documentation.