You might be wondered “what is cellular IOT?”. In the past internet is used to connect people around the world. Now IOT is introduced which is used to connect the things or devices together. With the adding feature of internet connecting the devices which enable the communication among them is called as IOT.By 2020 there will be 50 billion connected devices on IOT. With the help of cellular networks, we may be able to connect with Instagram, Email, Google Maps etc., We can also connect with physical objects like parking meters, hospitals, street lights and myriad industrial applications.
Traditional cellular networks are mostly 2G, 3G and rarely used 4G modems for the transmission of data. But it will transfer only a little amount of data at a time which is unreliable. It was helpful for devices like street lights, parking space etc., To meet such requirements of low power devices cellular IOT came into existence. It will use the existing technology which we use every day for our smartphone and it helps to meet our daily needs. As the infrastructure is already installed for all the cellular devices like the base station, buildings, power supply so there will be no need to add extra cost for the infrastructure and maintenance. The technology has the potential to cover hundreds of kilometres.
NB-IOT and LTE-M:
None of the technology is looking great for IOT applications. Hence several standardising technologies came into existence like LTE-M and NB-IOT. For low bandwidth and infrequent communication, NB-IOT is used for stationary devices. Whereas for higher bandwidth and frequent communication is possible with LTE-M which is suitable for roaming and mobile devices. The devices which are used to measure the environmental conditions are usually placed in a standard location is the best example of which uses NB-IOT. This device will last up to 10 years and even more with the use of solar technology.
Advantages of cellular IOT:
- With the end to end security provided by standard TLS/DTLS with on-air encryption using LTE, it provides a more secure connection.
- Since there is no transmission limit you can transmit up to 23dBm and is also negotiable.
- With the existing co-existence mechanism and LTE standard, we can large number of cellphones in a small area.
- With the open standard based infrastructure, the service will reach almost where the people live.
Mostly 90% of the population are into cellular network nowadays and is to be offered with low power variants, low complexity which is a great choice for IOT needs.
LTE-M:
LTE had coverage in many countries like the US, the Netherlands and Ireland. For cellular IOT applications, it is overtaken by GSM.LTE-M devices are the best for mission-critical applications where real-time data transfer makes a difference, for example, self-driving cars or emergency devices in smart cities. Basically, just a software update, devices that support LTE-M can communicate with the cloud, surf the same wave as a cat photo you like on Instagram. LTE-M, which stands for Long Term Evolution for Machines is a network standard that allows IoT device to piggyback on existing cellular networks.
NB-IOT:
It stands for “Narrowband IOT” which is used for transferring of a small amount of data and is used in areas with less LTE coverage. The best examples of NB-IOT is soil sensor for smart agriculture and energy usage monitor in a smart city.GSM is the standard cellular technology for regions like Europe, Asia and Africa.NB-IOT is correct for you.
5G Technology and Cellular IOT:
When compared to all the generations of technologies 5G technology is fast, better and strong. At the end of industrial IoT, a very secure personal 5G network will be able to facilitate thousands or even millions of devices in manufacturing or logistics settings, which operate at 10x speeds from existing networks.5G will surely fulfil the requirements of low bit too ultra HD IOT connectivity requirements.5G will have the capacity to cover over 1 million devices which is about 1 square kilometre. It also had a capacity that no other wireless technology will match. In a big push to 5G, Fujitsu Laboratories last year built a prototype wireless unit that achieved high-speed transmission, more than 10 Gbps, for 5G wireless base stations and access points, while maintaining a low power consumption level equivalent to Fi.
Many companies are working to meet the primary requirements of the IOT to make them successful in future. The following are the improvements need to do for the IoT devices to be successful:
- It should be cost effective of less than 5$ which addresses the major market share.
- A large number of devices should be addressed by this.
- When compared to normal devices it had better receiver sensitivity level.
- A lifetime of the battery should last longer. It should be at least 10 years.
To address the huge requirements of IoT companies such as Ericsson and Huawei is taking the initiative to provide cellular solutions. Huawei is looking for M2M solution which is based on FDM concept while Ericsson is looking for GSM and LTE. The major benefits of adopting NB-IOT is that the hardware cost will be less, low power network design which helps for devices that are at remote locations and which are majorly dependent on battery power. In spite of replacing the battery every time an efficient battery management system will help to work it for a long time.NB-IOT will be able to reach out remote locations like warehouses which allows the new use cases for the technology. The main drawback of this technology is that it is more suited for static assets rather than moving ones which requires live tracking.
