LPWAN | NB-IoT Technology

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) is a category of wireless technology specifically designed for long-range communications at a low data rate among connected devices. LPWANs are optimized for low power consumption and are capable of operating for long periods of time. Key technologies under the LPWAN umbrella, such as NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, and Sigfox, are highly relevant for IoT applications such as smart metering, agricultural sensors, and smart city applications that require wide area coverage and battery life sustainability.

Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a LPWAN technology developed to enable a wide range of devices and services to be connected using cellular telecommunication bands. NB-IoT is highly suitable for applications that require low data rates, long battery lives, and indoor coverage. NB-IoT leverages the existing LTE network infrastructure but is optimized for minimal power consumption and improved indoor coverage.

NB-IoT offers several significant advantages for IoT deployments:

• Low Power Usage: IoT devices can run on the same battery source for several years without replacement, which is crucial for scalable deployments.
• Deep Penetration: It provides excellent penetration in dense urban environments, making it suitable for smart utilities and smart city infrastructure.
• Cost Efficiency: NB-IoT devices can be deployed on a lower budget due to their minimal bandwidth requirements and simplified system design.
• High Connection Density: NB-IoT  supports about 50,000 devices per network cell, making it an excellent option for massive IoT deployments

NB-IoT is ideal for applications where small amounts of data are transmitted intermittently, and device battery life is critical like Smart Metering, Asset Tracking and Environmental Monitoring.

The rollout of 5G technologies enhances NB-IoT by improving coverage, capacity, reliability, and power efficiency. It also provides new capabilities such as network slicing and better scalability, thus supporting more sophisticated IoT applications and increased device densities. For 5G systems to enable NB-IoT support, the 3GPP is also looking at ways for the 5G core network to support the NB-IoT radio access network. This will enable operators to transition smoothly to 5G NR frequency bands while maintaining NB-IoT deployments.

While both NB-IoT and LoRaWAN are popular choices for various LPWAN IoT applications, they cater to slightly different needs. NB-IoT operates within the licensed spectrum, offering advantages in terms of service quality and security, making it suitable for critical applications where interference might be a concern. LoRaWAN, on the other hand, operates in the unlicensed spectrum and provides more flexibility in network deployment and management, which can be cost-effective for private network setups and non-critical applications.