The energy consumption, maintenance, and cost of various IoT solutions dependsin part on the amounts and types of data your devices need to send and receive. Here we talk about various cellular and WAN data transfer protocols to help you decide which technology is best for you. CAT-M, or Category M, is aLow-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) technologydesignedto support today’s IoT devices, even in the most challengingofenvironments. It is the first networkbuilt fora dedicated spectrum that is optimized for IoT, allowingdirect connection of devices to a 4G network. CAT-Mis sometimes referred to as Long Term Evolution CAT-M orLTE CAT-M1.LTE-based IoT networks can only work if they providelong battery lifeandlow cost,support a high volume of devices,provideenhanced coverage(i.e.forbetter signal penetration through walls), andworklong-rangeover awide spectrum. CAT-Mmeets these requirements since itwas designed tooperateon a lower spectrum (1.4 MHzas compared to20 MHzas usually seen with CAT-0)with a hightransmit power(20Bm). It alsoprovides upload speedsofbetween 200kbps and 400kbps, supports basicmobileapplicationsincluding voiceconnectivity, and has higher throughput with lower latency and batteryconsumption. It is alsodesigned toprovideanextendedbattery lifeof10 yearsor more.What IsCAT-M?
How Cellular IoT Originated
Therise inpopularityofIoT deviceshas been partly due tothe rise of low-power, wide-area network options such asSigFox,LoRa, and Weightless. Conventional cellular options such as 4G and LTE networks consume too much powerand do notwork with manyapplications,so alternatives that workin settings that require aninfrequent transmission of data in small amounts, such as in smart metering applications,wereneeded. This provided the impetus for the design and deployment of cellular IoT solutions and their related infrastructure.
CAT-M1
CAT-M1 iscurrentlythe only cellular IoT optionavailable and itrepresents an early push towards connecting IoT devices using existing LTE networks. Whileit trails3G networksin terms of performance and quality, itis a better option for IoT applications thatrequirea browser interface or voicedata transmission. The major pullbehind itis that itis already standardized, and more importantly, itiseasyto transitiontothe CAT-1 network. Experts predict that as 3G and 4G technologies sunset, CAT-1and CAT-M1 networks willbe hereto stay.
CAT-0
As mentioned above,LTE-based networkscan only work if they can cost-effectively support many devices with better coverage across longdistanceswith minimal maintenance.CAT-0provides acost-effectivesolution for these requirements asit eliminates featuresrequiringhigh datatransmission,unlike CAT-1which uses adual receiver chainand aduplex filter. In simpler terms, if CAT-1 is poised to replace 3G, CAT-0 sets the groundwork for CAT-M replacing 2G as thesolution of choice.
Market Perception of CAT-M
CAT-M is generally viewed as thesecond generation of LTE chipsbuilt for IoT applications. It is more cost-effectivethan the alternatives thanks toreduced power consumption,abenefitinitially introduced byCAT-0. By capping system bandwidth at 1.4 MHz, CAT-M specifically targets LPWAN applications like smart metering, in which only a relatively small amount of data transfer is required.
Thereal advantage of CAT-M over other options, however,lies inthe fact that itworks withtheexisting LTE network. This makes ita greatchoice for carrierswho want to avoid the cost ofbuilding new antennas.RunningCAT-Mon existingLTE networks requires asimplesoftware patch; all youhave todoissendan over-the-air (OTA) software update to thedevices operatingonthe network.CompanieslikeVerizon and AT&Twould prefer this option to the construction of new infrastructure to support a new protocol.In addition,it is highly likely for5G and LTE technologiestocoexist well into the 2020s, so the backward-compatibility ofthese technologies withCAT-M is a bonus.
NB-IoT/CAT-M2
NB-IoT(also called CAT-M2)was designed withsimilar goals tothoseof CAT-M,but instead of usingLTE’sradiosolution, it uses DSSS(direct-sequence spread spectrum)modulation toreduce signal interference.NB-IoTdoes notoperateonthe LTEband,soprovidersfacehigher upfrontand deploymentcoststorun onit.
Regardless, NB-IoT is being promoted asapotentially less expensivealternative to CAT-Mbecause itdoes not require agatewayto work. Other infrastructures typically have portals that aggregate sensor dataand then transmit that data to aprimary server. With NB-IoT, however, sensor data is sent directly to the central server. Forthisreason,companies such asHuawei, Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Vodafone are activelyinvesting in commercial applications of NB-IoT.
EC-GSM
EC-GSM isanIoT-optimized GSM network. It isawireless protocol usedby about80%of allsmartphonesglobally. As the name suggests,it can be deployedonexisting GSM networks, giving it aconsiderable advantage in terms of practicality and modularity since a simple softwareupdate providesconnectivityofEC-GSMon2G, 3G, and 4G networks. EC-GSM also has specific use-cases in non-Western regions such asSouth East Asia,Africa,andmanyMiddleEastern countriesin which2Gis commonly used.Ericsson, Intel, and Orange are believed to have completed live trials of EC-GSM in early 2018. However, EC-GSMhas not generated asmuchpress coverage as some of the alternatives in this space.
5G
5G is yet to be officially defined, unlike the cellular IoTsolutions discussed above. The NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks) Alliance is pushing for it to be 40 times faster than 4G while supporting up to 1 million connections per square kilometer. 5G is likely to enable high-bandwidth, high-speed applications for Ultra-HD (4k) streaming, self-driving car connectivity,andVR/AR applications.Large wireless carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile have begun rolling out 5G connectivity in select locations, though its coverageremainslimited.
Which LPWAN Is Best for Me?
Different cellular IoT options do not have to bemutuallyexclusive. Theleading LPWA technologies include NB-IoT,which is focused onlowdata rates and is ideal for straightforward static sensor applications, butLTE-M(CAT-M)providesthe lightest bandwidth of any LPWA technology and is suitable for fixed and mobile applications–both of which are 5G-ready. The solution you choosedepends onyourrequirements,theconnectivityspecs your business needs, and the existing infrastructure wherever you operate.
KajeetSolutions Engineerscan help you set up an IoT infrastructure that works for you based on your data needs and budget.Contact us today for a consultation with one of our tech experts, or click here to learn more about private wireless networks.
Tag(s):Blog Posts, iot, Industrial IoT, Private Wireless Networks, Enterprise
