The existing standards 2G, 3G and 4G already allow some use cases. However, they are not designed to meet all the many challenges faced by companies that now want to drive their business models forward with the help of digitalization. This is why industry, academia and network operators have further developed mobile communications and, in recent years, created new standards that have been specially optimized for the Internet of Things: NB-IoT, LTE-M and 5G.

5G is not just the successor to 4G. The 5th generation mobile communications network that operators and network equipment providers are currently building worldwide will in future always provide the right transmission technology for every application. These include NB-IoT and LTE-M, two new standards that are therefore future-proof. They are also already available today to network the rapidly growing number of IoT devices.

If companies use mobile communications as a transmission path, sensors and devices are not dependent on a company network such as WLAN, nor are there high costs for installations such as cable connections. The choice of the appropriate wireless technology essentially boils down to one question: How much data does the user have to send and how often?

LITTLE DATA, LOW FREQUENCY

Take the example of a heat meter’s energy consumption measurement: NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) is the technology of choice here. The functionality of the new mobile standard is reduced exactly to sending small amounts of data at large intervals. The comparatively simple NB-IoT modules are therefore so energy-efficient that they can be operated for years with a standard battery. This in turn means that the mobile module does not require an external power supply, which is often not available in cellars – usually the preferred location for many energy meters.

In the basement, normal mobile reception is also restricted. NB-IoT also solves this problem, because thanks to its low bandwidth, the technology reliably transmits even through thick basement walls. The third plus point: NB-IoT modules can be produced cost-effectively. Thus, the total costs of a networking scenario – be it smart meters in buildings and parking lots or intelligent street lamps in a smart city – remain manageable.

LOTS OF DATA, LOW FREQUENCY

Take the example of goods tracking during transport: Using GPS tracking, goods on a pallet can be tracked throughout Europe. The corresponding modules can contain various sensors: For example, a shock sensor registers whether the pallet has fallen from the forklift truck. A temperature sensor measures whether the goods have left the optimum temperature range on the delivery route. Even if this collected information is only transmitted to the logistics company once a day, a certain volume of data is still collected.

LTE-M (M stands for machine-type communications) is used here. The new standard offers sufficient bandwidth for medium data volumes, but also cost-effective hardware for mass use and sufficient battery life for long transport distances. Moreover, thanks to roaming, LTE-M can already be used across national borders today and therefore offers full mobility, which is particularly important for logistics.

LITTLE DATA, HIGH FREQUENCY

Take the example of wearables: these are not only fitness bracelets that document sporting performance, but increasingly also bracelets and smartwatches with SIM cards for e-health use. At regular intervals, they send vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse rate to the cloud, which can be called up by the doctor for analysis. This is a case for LTE-M, which also makes it possible to monitor patients in rooms that have weak mobile reception. In contrast to NB-IoT, LTE-M also offers an SMS function, for example to send an alarm message.

LOTS OF DATA, HIGH FREQUENCY

Take the example of networked driving: In many cases, this is already possible with LTE or 4G. The SIM card in the car enables infotainment services and is the Wi-fi hotspot that allows passengers to surf the Internet. Even information about the location of a traffic jam on the motorway or the position of construction site trailers reaches approaching cars quickly enough via LTE. The situation is different with platooning: Here, networked trucks drive very closely behind each other to save fuel through the slipstream. However, if the front vehicle has to brake hard, all the trucks in the convoy have to react simultaneously in order to avoid rear-end collisions. Such a short deceleration is only possible with 5G, the fifth-generation mobile network. It offers a latency of less than one millisecond and thus a reaction almost in real time.

5G also makes Virtual and Augmented Reality a delay-free experience. The enormous bandwidths of 5G mobile communications also enable scenarios such as smooth video conferences in high-speed trains or high-resolution video streaming from a large number of surveillance cameras. Latency and speed are also relevant for many scenarios in Industry 4.0, such as the smart factory. And since 5G can simultaneously power more than 1 million networked devices per square kilometer, power outages at major events will no longer occur in the future.

These examples of use cases, divided into four scenarios, show that with 4G, 5G, LTE-M and NB-IoT, four future-proof mobile communication technologies exist that enable a large number of use cases in the Internet of Things.

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