Technology

Machine Type Communication Technology to Revolutionize the Internet of Things

Current communication solutions are still focused on mobile communication between people. In the future, they will also extend to the exchange of data and information between devices – a huge number of devices (Massive IoT). The system requirements needed for communication between machines are different to current solutions. Many IoT devices like sensors just need to transmit a few Bytes once in a while and work with very low power consumption. Using existing cellular network infrastructure ensures highest level of security and quality of service – now and in the future.

In sum – Massive IoT requires a revolutionary Machine-Type-Communication (MTC) technology combined with smart architectural approaches.

3GPP Release 13 Standard for NB-IoT

The number of devices connected via the Internet is continuously growing. To secure a seamless and secure data exchange a set of rules and constraints is needed. For this, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the worldwide standardization committee for mobile communication, has just published the NB-IoT standard – a complete new cellular communication standard that is part of the Release 13 package. The industry’s attention and commitment on NB-IoT is enormous. According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) already more than 20 operators are committed to deploy NB-IoT, several commercial and trial IoT networks have been announced or already are in operation. This provides the basis for the NB-IoT technology.

The NB-IoT cellular communication technology is based on using available networks worldwide. It is designed to operate in a wide range of environmental conditions, is able to support a huge number of devices and is cost effective and easy to deploy and operate. The NB-IoT technology provides the basis for revolutionary smart communication solutions in areas like health care, smart home, transport, logistic systems, or industrial applications.

NB-IoT Characteristics at a Glance

Extended coverage ensures global reachability – also in signal challenging areas. Ultra-low power consumption provides the basis for long battery runtimes and low maintenance effort. The usage of the already existing cellular network structure reduces the total cost of ownership and enables connectivity worldwide. Operation in licensed spectrum guarantees high quality of service for more than a lifetime of a device. The usage of cellular technology provides the highest security level. Optimized protocols enable massive IoT by scalability with the number of devices.

The industry’s commitment is enormous – the roll-out in existing cellular networks is planned to start already 2017.

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