PiTalk, an LTE HAT extension for Raspberry Pi, reached its crowdfunding goal on the Kickstarter platform. The HAT is compatible with all Raspberry Pi SBCs except for Compute Modules and Picos, and can be used by players to build their own smartphones thanks to support for voice calls and SMS.
Developed by Ravinder Singh, an embedded systems engineer from London, UK, PiTalk enables continued use of the Raspberry Pi without Wi-Fi coverage. built around the Quectel EG25-G Cat 4 module, PiTalk offers a maximum downlink transmission speed of 150 Mbps and a maximum uplink speed of 50 Mbps and is backward compatible with earlier network types and also supports global positioning (GPS, GLONASS, Compass, Galileo and QZSS). GLONASS, BeiDou / Compass, Galileo and QZSS).
The Raspberry Pi with this HAT can be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot, a live streaming device or for Internet access, in addition to a homebrew phone. piTalk can be used in digital signage to upload new content to the sign without a Wi-Fi network or physical networking.
Singh is also working on a USB 4G dongle for Windows and Linux systems that connects via USB. All of his 4G products require a nano-SIM card and rely on a USB port for power. piTalk supports worldwide shipping and is estimated to begin delivery in February 2023.
