5 Top Benefits of Narrowband IoT in Business

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a novel technique of talking with "things" that need to send little amounts of data over extended periods of time and in difficult-to-reach locations. 

What is Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT)?

Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN)-based wireless Internet of Things (IoT) protocol. It was created by 3GPP for cellular wireless communication, allowing a wide range of new NB-IoT devices and services to be developed. One of the three main 3GPP LPWAN specifications is NB-IoT.

The NB-IoT communication standard is designed to allow IoT devices to communicate across carrier networks, either within an existing GSM carrier wave, in an underused "guard band" between LTE channels, or separately.

Let's dig further into the material to examine the five major commercial benefits of NB-IoT.

  1. Power Efficiency

  2. Cost Savings

  3. NB-IoT Reliability

  4. NB-IoT Deployment

  5. NB-IoT Global Reach

Power Efficiency

The IoT has thrived in areas with plenty of electricity and access to WLAN frequencies. Designers have been able to construct a wide range of gadgets for smart home applications, wearables, and trackers as a result of this. However, for the Internet of Things to flourish, devices must be able to connect in areas where signals are weaker, which necessitates efficient, low-power wireless performance.

 
narrowband connection

NB-IoT was created specifically for these difficult applications. Some carriers say that a single-cell battery can last for ten years, however, this necessitates appropriate antenna integration to ensure optimal functioning.

The rate of battery degeneration will vary depending on the amount and frequency of data transfer in reality. Furthermore, for this endurance, a well-performing antenna would be required.

Cost Savings

Narrowband technology, as previously said, is a cost-effective solution. One reason for this could be that NB-IoT uses half-duplex communications, which makes device installation easier.

In duplex communications, neither operation is possible. In addition, NB-IoT provides slow data speeds. It is equipped with a single antenna with a narrow radio frequency bandwidth. As a result, the installation is quite straightforward, lowering the cost of NB-IoT deployment.

Furthermore, because NB-IoT was created by the 3GPP, it may be deployed on existing LTE infrastructure because, unlike LTE, it enables both 2G and 4G connectivity.

The cost of construction and separate infrastructure will be reduced, and these actions will lower the overall cost of connecting your smart cities and intelligent grid stations to the NB-IoT network.

NB-IoT Reliability

Integrating NB-IoT on a licensed platform ensures unwavering quality for clients, just as the guaranteed asset allocation essential for QoS. A huge number of low-data-rate and low-powered devices can benefit from NB-extensive IoT's indoor coverage.

Signal reiterations over a longer timescale are used to improve coverage for underpowered devices, allowing them to maintain their operating quality. The improvement in execution from sign redundancy is limited by the quality of the channel estimate.

NB-IoT Deployment

3GPP defined NB-IoT as a new cellular radio access technology in Releases 13, 14, and 15 to address the rapidly growing demand for low-power wide-area connectivity. Mobile Network Operators must ensure that devices and end-to-end services from various providers will connect to the NB-IoT systems that have been deployed and that the data transport capability and connection modes are well understood to achieve global coverage and wide adoption of NB-IoT services.

This article includes non-binding guidelines to assist mobile operators who are installing NB-IoT networks and devices around the world in ensuring compatibility and easy roaming. It specifies a minimum set of critical features, as well as key configurations and deployment considerations. 

The GSMA NB-IoT Forum members created the suggestions based on survey inputs submitted to the GSMA by 15 mobile operators who are deploying NB-IoT networks in over 40 markets, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Asia-Pacific (APAC).

NB-IoT Global Reach

NB-IoT is the ultimate solution to weak connectivity issues in far-flung locations such as basements. Because NB-IoT has a high signal repetition rate, it provides a lot of promise for transferring data to far-flung locations.

This expands the capabilities of NB-IoT. Whether it's smart metering or smart lighting, you'll need a strong enough connection to investigate every aspect of the city and turn it into a connectivity center.

Long connection retention does not, however, come without a price. Data rates will be slow and power consumption will be high as more energy will be required to overcome obstacles and send data if substantial signals are provided.

However, because NB-IoT modems are built for applications that demand low latency and low power consumption, this won't be an issue if you want to install them in smart cities and grid stations.

NB-IoT Applications

Smart Metering

Regular and tiny data transmissions are ideal for monitoring gas and water meters using NB-IoT. Smart metering deployments face a number of challenges, including network coverage. Meters have a great proclivity for showing up in unusual places, such as cellars, deep underground, or in remote rural areas. To address this issue, NB-IoT has outstanding coverage and penetration.

Smart Cities

Local governments can use NB-IoT to manage street lighting, decide when waste bins need to be emptied, locate available parking places, monitor environmental conditions, and survey road conditions.

Consumer

Wearable gadgets will be able to connect to the internet via NB-IoT, which will be especially useful for tracking people and animals. Similarly, NB-IoT can be used to track the health of people with chronic or age-related illnesses.

Smart Buildings

Sensors connected to the NB-IoT can send out notifications about building maintenance issues and automate functions like lighting and heating management. NB-IoT can potentially be used to supplement a building's broadband connection. Some security solutions may even leverage LPWA networks to connect sensors directly to the monitoring system, which is more difficult for an intruder to deactivate while also being easier to install and maintain.

Agricultural and Environmental

Farmers will be able to track their animals via NB-IoT connectivity, as a sensor with an u-blox NB-IoT module may send an alert if an animal's movement is unusual. Such sensors could be used to measure land features including pollution, noise, and rain, as well as monitor soil temperature and humidity.

Conclusion

The idea that there will now be a standardized LPWA network capable of reaching enormous numbers of devices is a major source of excitement for Narrowband-IoT. There have been competing LPWA networks for some time, but none offer the scalability or cost that NB-IoT has.

However, reaping all of NB-benefits IoT's takes more consideration than simply choosing to utilize it. The nature of the signals and difficult settings in which many of these devices operate, as well as the necessity to pass network approval tests, make for a difficult design cycle.