According to Lei Feng Network: NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) can be deployed directly on existing GSM, UMTS, or LTE networks, occupying very low bandwidth to connect a large number of low-power devices, achieving cost reduction and smooth transition goals. It has already become an important branch of the concept of the Internet of Everything. According to the planned roadmap, 5G will officially be commercialized in 2020, and this article will discuss the future of NB-IoT and the significant impact of its technical specifications on the Internet of Things.
NB-IoT, also known as LTE Cat NB1, can connect billions of devices in a smarter way. It offers a very high cost-performance ratio, supports low-power connections for low-cost devices, and provides a wider coverage range. As an effective and feasible theory of economies of scale in the IoT industry, Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technology can cover almost all areas and can operate compatibly with existing mobile networks.
The main demand for new MTC (Machine Type Communication) applications is to deploy low-power, wide-coverage, efficient power supply for low-cost devices, and match the different frequency bands of various operators’ radio access networks. Typically, these MTC applications include smart metering, property monitoring, agriculture, fleet, and logistics management, among others. Although the data generated by these devices is often very small, they are usually installed in blind spots of signal coverage, such as forests, farms, or basements, where existing short-range communication networks and mobile cellular networks cannot cover, and NB-IoT was created to solve this problem.
Working in authorized spectrum ensures better coverage and performance, while operating in unlicensed spectrum can lead to various uncontrollable risks that may affect the overall performance of many devices operating in the network.
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Battery and Coverage Performance
Network density and link budget are the two main factors affecting mobile network coverage. Compared to technologies like GPRS, WCDMA, and LTE, NB-IoT has a link budget that is 20dB higher and can operate under lower data coverage conditions.
Comparison of link budgets for communication technologies:
The 20dB improvement also means sacrifices in certain areas, such as lowering the requirements for MTC applications, but it brings many advantages. NB-IoT can meet the demands for rate latency and battery life. The lifespan depends on how efficiently devices switch into “sleep mode,” thereby shutting down some components of the battery while idle.
Like LTE, NB-IoT uses two main RRC protocol states:
● RRC_idle: Saves power and resources for sending measurement reports
● RRC_connected: Devices send and receive data directly
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NB-IoT’s Design is More Flexible
It is particularly noteworthy that NB-IoT technology can provide a certain range of data transmission rates. This depends on channel quality, or signal-to-noise ratio, and the number of resources in the designated area (bandwidth). Additionally, each device has its own power budget, and multiple devices can aggregate power.
Besides the impact of bandwidth, in certain situations, NB-IoT devices are more susceptible to signal strength. These devices can save more bandwidth resources for other devices by concentrating transmission energy to form a narrower bandwidth without sacrificing performance. Moreover, NB-IoT transmits not resource blocks, but multi-frequency transmissions or subcarriers. The bandwidth of NB-IoT is 15kHz, while the effective bandwidth of resource blocks is 180kHz, consisting of 12 subcarriers each with a bandwidth of 15kHz, showing a significant difference between the two.
Regardless of signal strength, we can enhance data transmission speed by increasing bandwidth according to different situations within the signal coverage range. By allocating multi-frequency or subcarriers to devices, the data transmission speed can be increased by up to 12 times. In this ideal state, devices are within a strong signal coverage range, and the data transmission rate is also very fast. In real-world environments, the best scenario is that NB-IoT devices are surrounded by dense base stations, or most devices are within the original LTE coverage range.
It is worth noting that good reusability was required in the design of NB-IoT, and it can adapt to various transmission rates. The design capacity target proposed by 3GPP (the standardization organization) is 40 devices per household, or 52,200 devices per cell (taking London as an example); in simulated operations, each cell can connect 200,000 devices, which is four times the original target. Clearly, when officially released, NB-IoT will meet the requirements for data transmission rates.
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About Devices
Deploying large-scale sensors obviously requires communication modules. The monitoring and feedback process for different parameters (such as temperature and humidity) must be optimized. For scenarios heavily reliant on sensors, data transmission rates and latency should be lower, and NB-IoT can meet these demands. NB-IoT devices have proven capable of operating at lower peak physical layer data transmission (in the range of 100-200kbps) and can even support single-frequency transmission. Additionally, NB-IoT devices have other advantages. For example, LTE MBB requires two antennas, while NB-IoT only needs one receiving antenna.
Another advantage of narrowband (NB-IoT is 200kHz, while other technologies range from 1.4MHz to 20MHz) is the complexity of analog-to-digital conversion, channel estimation, and lower buffering.
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NB-IoT to Connect Everything
Smart Cities
In simple terms, it means spending less money to track various demands of the city. NB-IoT and LTE make it possible to control streetlights, free parking spaces, environmental conditions, etc. As mentioned above, NB-IoT communication modules have a highly competitive price advantage. These modules are estimated to cost around $5.
Smart Buildings
NB-IoT can support broadband connectivity for buildings. Using LPWA networks to connect sensors directly to monitoring systems enhances security.
Smart Metering
The main demand for smart metering is network coverage. Sometimes, meters need to be installed in remote rural areas or underground. Through conventional and small data transmissions, NB-IoT can effectively monitor gas and water meters.
Consumer Market
Cat M1, sometimes referred to as an alternative to NB-IoT. Both technologies can support large-scale sensors and various levels of data connectivity. For consumers, wearable devices are the cornerstone of the Internet of Things. One of the main challenges of the Internet of Things is how to explore sustainable business development models. Compared to reproducing, the maintenance costs of sensors and devices may be higher.
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Conclusion
I hope you now have a deeper understanding of NB-IoT, know how it works, and how it differs from other LPWAN technologies. The new Internet of Things planning will be launched under better networks and devices, helping to create a highly attractive business.
PS: Lei Feng Network’s IoT Technology Review column is recruiting, welcome recommendations & self-recommendations, please send your resume to: [email protected].
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