Sony Spresense Main Board + LTE Extension Board sold by Restar Electronics Corporation is now available from the Soracom IoT Store.

This kit consists of a Spresense Main Board IoT microcontroller equipped with a CXD5602 smart sensing processor developed by Sony, and an LTE Extension Board equipped with a LBAD0XX1SC LTE-M cellular module by Murata, in addition to a Soracom plan-D D-300MB IoT SIM for cellular connectivity.

Spresense Main Board + LTE Extension Board Starter Kit

Starter Kit contents:

• Spresense Main Board (CXD5602PWBMAIN1)
• Spresense LTE Extension Board (CXD5602PWBLM1JUL)
• Soracom IoT SIM for Japan (plan-D D-300MB, nano size, data communication only)
• Availability: Japan only
• Price: 14,828 yen (tax included, bundled with a 1,350 yen Soracom platform coupon)

For more information or to purchase, please refer to the product page (Japanese).

As of November 1, 2022, prices for the following Japan-only devices have been revised. Prices are in Japanese Yen (¥) and include Japanese consumption tax.

Antenna for 3G/LTE Cat.1/LTE Cat.M Module HW-MULTI-GA-RSMA

• Old price: ¥1,188 (includes a ¥100 Soracom platform service coupon)
• New price: ¥1,628 (includes a ¥100 Soracom platform service coupon)

For more details, visit the product page (Japanese).

IP65 antenna for LTE Cat.1/LTE Cat.M module Taoglas GA.130.201111

• Old price: ¥2,288 (includes a ¥100 Soracom platform service coupon)
• New price: ¥2,618 (includes a ¥100 Soracom platform service coupon)

For more details, visit the product page (Japanese).

Starting October 2022, the availability and application process of the SORACOM Support Office Hours support program, announced previously as a Limited Preview service, will change according to the following:

• Office Hours will be available to customers who currently have a paid support plan (Priority Support or Enterprise Support).
• To schedule an Office Hours appointment, please open a support ticket regarding your inquiry and indicate that you would like to receive a web meeting response using the Office Hours program.
  • Please also indicate a preferred appointment date and time that is at least 5 business days from the date of your request.

Please refer to the documentation (Japanese) for additional details such as requirements and precautions. If you have any questions regarding the Office Hours support program, please don't hesitate to contact us.

As previously announced, the number of past billing information and order history has now been limited to the most recent 18 months. Bills and orders older than 18 months are no longer available for download.

This change also applies to billing information and order history that is accessed using the following APIs:

• Billing:getBilling
• Billing:getBillingPerDay
• Billing:exportBilling
• Billing:getBillingHistory
• Order:listOrders
• Order:getOrder

If you require a copy of billing information or order history that is no longer available, please contact our support team by logging into the User Console and selecting Support > Contact Us.

For more information on downloading and using billing information or viewing and managing orders, please refer to the Billing Information and Order Management documentation.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new rendezvous point located in Sydney, Australia.

When a device using a Soracom Air for Cellular SIM connects to a cellular network, IP network connectivity is provided by one of Soracom's infrastructure regions, known as rendezvous points. With the addition of the Sydney rendezvous point, devices located in Australia will be able to connect to the internet and access IP services with lower latency.

Devices will automatically begin using the Sydney rendezvous point under the following conditions:

• The device is using a plan01s, plan01s - Low Data Volume, or planP1 subscription
• The device is located in Australia

For devices located outside of Australia, IP network connectivity will continue to be provided by other rendezvous points. For more information, please refer to the Rendezvous Points documentation.

Sydney rendezvous point with VPG

Virtual Private Gateways can now also be created using the Sydney rendezvous point, allowing for connecting to private networks and utilizing other advanced VPG functions from within Australia.

Please note that only devices physically located in Australia will be able to connect to a VPG that has been configured with the Sydney rendezvous point. Devices located outside of Australia will need their SIMs to be attached to a VPG with a different rendezvous point, or detached from the VPG, in order to access IP services.

Business customers located in Japan can now apply to switch their payment method to direct debit (also known as kouza-furikae). With the direct debit payment method, charges for monthly services will automatically be debited from your Japanese bank account.

You can apply to switch your payment method to direct debit from the User Console.

Upon submitting your application, an authorization request will be sent to you in the mail from Soracom's bank transaction provider, NetProtections. After you have completed the authorization form, your account payment method will be switched to direct debit. This process normally takes 2 months to complete.

Please note that direct debit is not available for individual customers.

For more details, please refer to the Change to direct debit (Japanese) documentation.

We are pleased to announce that planX3 coverage now includes the following countries:

• Cambodia
• Guernsey
• Martinique
• Serbia

Please note that for the following countries, 3G coverage is no longer available (however LTE coverage is still available):

• Indonesia
• Lithuania
• Malaysia
• Vietnam

For complete details about data rates, supported carriers, and coverage for planX3, please refer to the Supported Carriers documentation.

Soracom's planP1 subscription is a subscription that provides 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE coverage with low data rates in 20 countries in Asia.

Previously, the planP1 subscription could only be added as a Subscription Container to an existing plan01s SIM. Now, planP1 can be purchased directly as a SIM card, without the need to purchase a plan01s SIM and later add a planP1 Subscription Container.

For information on pricing, coverage, and available networks, please refer to the Supported Carriers documentation.

Purchasing planP1 SIMs

At this time, planP1 SIMs are available to customers located in Asia-Pacific and can be purchased directly from the User Console. Refer to the Order Management documentation for instructions on placing an order.

If you are located outside of Asia-Pacific and are interested in purchasing planP1 SIMs, please contact us for availability.

As of August 3, 2022, prices for the following Japan-only devices have been revised. Prices are in Japanese Yen (¥) and include Japanese consumption tax.

ATOM Cam 2

• Old price: ¥2,980
• New price: ¥3,480

For more details, visit the product page (Japanese).

ATOM Cam Swing

• Old price: ¥4,280
• New price: ¥4,980

For more details, visit the product page (Japanese).

Soracom is excited to announce the launch of Satellite Messaging, a satellite-based message communication service.

Satellite Messaging allows devices to communicate in areas where cellular connectivity and other communication methods are not available. This service is currently available as a Technology Preview.

For additional details and instructions on how to apply for this Technology Preview, please visit Satellite Messaging (technology preview) (Japanese).