IoT wireless connectivity networks are booming to help meet the networking needs of a variety of devices—from connected cars and smart homes to smart lighting and infrastructure. Low-power wide area networks (LPWAN), in particular, are particularly suitable for IoT systems that require low power consumption and ultra-long battery life with carrier-grade security. Several LPWAN technologies, including LTE-M and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), are being developed and deployed to support such IoT connectivity needs. LPWAN will have a significant impact on the future growth of IoT innovation.
Choose the right IoT network
Building a successful IoT system is all about matching your networking needs to the right technology or combination of technologies. Depending on the IoT application category, enterprises need to consider six key factors when selecting network connectivity technologies: coverage, data throughput, mobility, latency, battery life and cost.
Take throughput, for example, which represents the rate (or speed) at which data is exchanged on a network. For smart city parking meters, lighting management, or other scenarios where less data is exchanged and high latency can be received, data throughput may be a lower priority. However, if the application targets streaming, telemedicine, or involves video scenarios, choosing a high-throughput, low-latency network will be critical.
Low power technology advantages
Lower cost and longer battery life have always been top priorities in IoT system architecture. LTE-M and NB-IoT are ideally suited to solving these types of problems—and more. This article will focus on these two network connection technologies.
Compared with traditional IoT mobile connection technology, LPWAN technology has obvious advantages. Overall network connectivity costs are expected to be significantly lower than traditional mobile broadband connectivity costs due to wide area coverage and multi-terminal capacity per region.
Additionally, LTE-M and NB-IoT can provide up to 10 years of battery life for many IoT devices. While 12 to 24 hours of battery life is sufficient for consumer wearable devices, remote asset monitoring devices require much longer. For example, the batteries of smart devices that track assets in the supply chain may last anywhere from seven to more than 30 days at a time, depending on the time and mode of transport, such as land, sea, and air; and the availability of simple switches or containers. , such as monitoring the capacity of trash cans or liquid storage tanks, the equipment needs to be in the field for many years, and a single battery needs to last for many years as well.
Licensed spectrum and license-exempt spectrum for LPWAN
There are two broad categories of LPWAN technologies: licensed technologies and license-exempt technologies.
Licensed LPWAN technology leverages mobile network operators’ existing wireless spectrum resources. Mobile operators have long held licenses to operate within dedicated spectrum, used exclusively for wireless communications. This is where they deliver the highly reliable, scalable and secure network environment that large enterprises have come to expect. Both NB-IoT and LTE-M support licensed spectrum with carrier-grade security.
License-exempt LPWAN technologies can be used within designated frequency bands, as long as they comply with the rules associated with the frequency bands. Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, and other communications devices can also access unlicensed spectrum, which can cause signal interference and reduce network performance. In addition, license-free spectrum technology has limited coverage, lacks carrier-grade security, and does not always support two-way communications. Therefore, most license-free LPWAN technologies do not support firmware and software over-the-air updates.
LTE-M and NB-IoT development momentum
According to the GSMA, mobile operators have launched 58 commercial mobile IoT networks globally. The GSMA predicts there will be 1.8 billion licensed LPWAN connections by 2025. AT&T launched its LTE-M network in the U.S. and Mexico last year and recently announced it is preparing to launch NB-IoT in the U.S. and in Mexico early next year.
LTE-M and NB-IoT are low-power IoT technologies that complement each other. NB-IoT is well suited to meet the basic data requirements of use cases with limited data needs, while LTE-M supports more powerful features that can provide higher bandwidth, mobility and LTE voice services. They all connect directly to mobile networks and don’t require a Wi-Fi login or Bluetooth pairing.
NB-IoT is most suitable for simple switching devices, including smart parking meters, smart agricultural sensors, electricity meters, industrial monitors, and building automation. LTE-M, on the other hand, is best suited for asset trackers, fleet tracking, smart watches, alarm panels, pet trackers, smart home appliances, patient monitors, utility meters, and more.
Looking to the future
In the future, NB-IoT and LTE-M are expected to become part of the industry’s large-scale IoT standards. Investments in NB-IoT and LTE-M help enterprises ensure they are prepared in advance.
LPWAN accelerates the pace of IoT innovation and drives larger-scale device deployment, playing a key role in establishing a broad ecosystem of partners, devices and application foundations around the world.