Narrowband IoT
{{short description|Radio technology standard}}
Narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT) is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) radio technology standard developed by 3GPP for cellular network devices and services.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gsma.com/iot/narrow-band-internet-of-things-nb-iot/|title=NarrowBand – Internet of Things (NB-IoT)}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.gsma.com/connectedliving/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/3GPP-Low-Power-Wide-Area-Technologies-GSMA-White-Paper.pdf|title=3GPP Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) Technologies - GSMA White Paper|last1=Grant|first1=Svetlana|date=September 1, 2016|website=gsma.com|publisher=GSMA|pages=49|access-date=October 17, 2016}} The specification was frozen in 3GPP Release 13 (LTE Advanced Pro), in June 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.3gpp.org/news-events/3gpp-news/nb-iot-complete|title=Standardization of NB-IOT completed|date=June 22, 2016|website=3gpp.org|publisher=3GPP|pages=1|access-date=February 19, 2025}} Other 3GPP IoT technologies include eMTC (enhanced Machine-Type Communication) and EC-GSM-IoT.{{cite web |url=http://www.gsma.com/connectedliving/extended-coverage-gsm-internet-of-things-ec-gsm-iot |title=Extended Coverage - GSM - Internet of Things (EC-GSM-IoT) |date=May 11, 2016 |website=gsma.com |publisher=GSMA |pages=1 |access-date=October 17, 2016 }}
NB-IoT focuses specifically on indoor coverage, long battery life, and high connection density. NB-IoT uses a subset of the LTE standard, but limits the bandwidth to a single narrow-band of 200kHz. It uses OFDM modulation for downlink communication and SC-FDMA for uplink communications.{{cite web |last1=Ryu|first1=Jaeku|title=NB-IoT Handbook|url=http://www.sharetechnote.com/html/Handbook_LTE_NB_LTE.html}}{{cite web |last1=Lawson |first1=Stephen |title=NarrowBand IoT standard for machines moves forward |url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984928/mobile-wireless/narrowband-iot-standard-for-machines-moves-forward.html |website=computerworld.com |publisher=Computerworld / IDG |pages=1 |date=September 21, 2015 |access-date=September 24, 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Dan |title=Ericsson, Intel, Nokia Back New Narrowband LTE IoT Spec |url=http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/4g-lte/ericsson-intel-nokia-back-new-narrowband-lte-iot-spec-/d/d-id/718162 |website=lightreading.com |publisher=LightReading |pages=1 |date=September 11, 2015 |access-date=September 24, 2015}}{{cite web |title=3GPP agrees 'harmonized' proposal for narrowband IoT radio technology |url=http://www.telecomtv.com/articles/iot/3gpp-agrees-harmonized-proposal-for-narrowband-iot-radio-technology-12853/ |last1=Scales |first1=Ian |website=telecomtv.com |publisher=TelecomTV |pages=1 |date=September 18, 2015 |access-date=September 24, 2015}}{{cite web |title=LTE standard for Internet of Things machines gets the green light |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2985233/internet-of-things/lte-standard-for-machines-gets-the-green-light.html |last1=Lawson |first1=Stephen |via=pcworld.com |work=PCWorld / IDG |pages=1 |date=September 22, 2015 |access-date=September 24, 2015}} IoT applications which require more frequent communications will be better served by LTE-M, which has no duty cycle limitations operating on the licensed spectrum.
In March 2019, the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) announced that over 100 operators had either NB-IoT or LTE-M networks.GSA: [https://gsacom.com/paper/global-narrowband-iot-lte-m-networks-march-2019/ Global Narrowband IoT – LTE-M networks – March 2019] (retrieved 27 March 2019) This number had risen to 142 deployed/launched networks by September 2019.GSA: [https://gsacom.com/paper/nb-iot-and-lte-mtc-global-ecosystem-and-market-status/ NB-IoT and LTE-MTC Global Ecosystem and Market Status] (retrieved 15 October 2019)
3GPP LPWAN standards
{{3GPP LPWA IoT}}
Deployments
As of March 2019 GSA identified:GSA: [https://gsacom.com/paper/global-narrowband-iot-lte-m-networks-march-2019/ Global Narrowband IoT – LTE-M networks – March 2019] (retrieved 25 March 2019)
- 149 operators in 69 countries investing in one or both of the NB-IoT and LTE-M network technologies
- 104 of those operators in 53 countries had deployed/launched at least one of the NB-IoT or LTE-M technologies of those, 20 operators in 19 countries had deployed/launched both NB-IoT and LTE-M[https://gsacom.com/paper/iot-ecosystem-report-april19/?utm=reports4g GSA: NB-IoT and LTE-M: Global Ecosystem and Market Status, April 2019] (retrieved 24 April 2019)
- 22 countries are now home to deployed/launched NB-IoT and LTE-M networks
- 29 countries are home to deployed/launched NB-IoT networks only
- Two countries are home to deployed/launched LTE-M networks only
- 141 operators in 69 countries investing in NB-IoT networks; 90 of those operators in 51 countries had deployed/launched their networks
- 60 operators in 35 countries investing in LTE-M networks; 34 of those operators in 24 countries had deployed/launched their networks
Devices and modules
The 3GPP-compliant LPWA device ecosystem continues to grow. In April 2019, GSA identified 210 devices supporting either Cat-NB1/NB-2 or Cat-M1 – more than double the number in its GAMBoD database at the end of March 2018.GSA: [https://gsacom.com/paper/iot-ecosystem-report-april19/ IoT Ecosystem: NB-IoT and LTE-M Report: April-19] This figure had risen a further 50% by September 2019, with a total of 303 devices identified as supporting either Cat-M1, Cat-NB1 (NB-IoT) or Cat-NB2. Of these, 230 devices support Cat-NB1 (including known variants) and 198 devices support Cat-M1 (including known variants). The split of devices (as of September 2019) was 60.4% modules, 25.4% asset trackers, and 5.6% routers, with data loggers, femtocells, smart-home devices, and smart watches, USB modems, and vehicle on-board units (OBUs), making up the balance.GSA: [https://gsacom.com/paper/nb-iot-and-lte-mtc-global-ecosystem-and-market-status/ NB-IoT and LTE-MTC Global Ecosystem and Market Status] (retrieved 15 October 2019)
In 2018 first NB-IoT data loggers and other certified devices started to appear. For example ThingsLog released their first CE certified single channel NB-IoT data logger on Tindie in late 2018.
To integrate NB-IoT into a maker board for IoT developments, SODAQ, a Dutch IoT hardware and software engineering company, crowdfunded an NB-IoT shield on Kickstarter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sodaq/the-first-nb-iot-shield-for-arduino-supported-by-t|title=The first NB-IoT shield for Arduino: supported by T-Mobile|website=Kickstarter|language=en|access-date=2019-06-25}} They then went on to partner with module manufacturer u-blox to create maker boards with NB-IoT and LTE-M integrated.{{Cite web|url=https://shop.sodaq.com/sodaq-sara-aff-r410m.html |title=SODAQ SARA AFF R410M|publisher=SODAQ|language=en|access-date=2019-06-25}}
Since 2021, there also is a cheap all-in-one NB-IoT solution available to the general public developed by the Chinese manufacturer Ai-Thinker.{{Cite web |last=Post |first=Sponsored |date=2021-12-06 |title=Ai Thinker enters the NB-IoT LPWAN market with EC-01 modules (Sponsored) - CNX Software |url=https://www.cnx-software.com/2021/12/06/ai-thinker-nb-iot-lpwan-ec-01-modules/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=CNX Software - Embedded Systems News |language=en-US}}
At the beginning of 2023 the Belgian company DPTechnics released the [https://www.quickspot.io/ Walter] IoT board which combines an ESP32-S3 together with a Sequans Monarch 2 NB-IoT/LTE-M platform. The board is focused on long-term availability and includes a GNSS receiver.
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.3gpp.org/news-events/3gpp-news/nb-iot-complete 3GPP NB-IOT]
- [http://ftp.3gpp.org/tsg_ran/TSG_RAN/TSGR_69/Docs/RP-151621.zip RP-151621]
{{Mobile telecommunications standards}}
{{Mobile phones}}