By Wade Sarver
Remember all that hype about how 5G would offer massive machine connectivity? It turns out that the hype is way ahead of the devices. While the capability is there, the devices are lagging. Here’s why.
Many of the device makers just invested in 4G LTE, and now, less than 5 years later, they’re being asked to invest in 5G. How crazy is that? You may be thinking it would be no big thing, except it is.
IoT Explained
IoT stands for the Internet of Things which is just a fancy way to monitor a sensor or control something over a wireless network.
Why does it matter in 5G land? When I worked in early 5G, we were constantly reminded that 5G was designed to handle:
● Massive machine-type communications (mMTC)
● Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB),
● Ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC).
I bring this up because two of these were based around IoT at the time. The original concept behind mMTC was basically controlling a huge number of devices. On the other hand, URLLC which has a lot to do with edge communications now, at the time, was associated with emergency communications and IoT. Back then, radios had a lot of delay in them, as did the routers, switches, and a lot of the backend equipment. Not only that, going back to 3G, most traffic was transported all the way to a central switching point before being routed across the network.
4G LTE removed quite a bit of network delay, but not all of it. There is still internet traffic. It takes a smart network to route internet traffic efficiently. Offloading to the local network and nearby servers in the cloud really helped.
Remote device connection goes back over 30 years. In the 1990s, we used a version of HP Openview to automate alarms. Before that, we used alarming software in paging systems to ensure reliability. So IoT in various forms has been around forever, it’s just that back then, we didn’t have a Network Operations Center to monitor alarms, just a dispatch center, like today’s 911 centers.
The majority of IoT devices are small and cheap, costing anywhere from a few dollars to about $200. These device manufacturers rely on chipmakers to provide what they need in a very small package with long battery life for a low price. When deploying hundreds or thousands of devices to one customer, cost and performance are big factors.
The real challenge to 5G handling IoT applications has more to do with the devices than the 5G format itself. Devices have to be cost-effective and available.
The reality is that migrating to 5G will cause problems such as increased cost as well as being forced to work with the mobile network operators. MNOs do offer a solution, but for many massive IoT users, using the MNO network for IoT traffic adds costs, contracts, and complications. Who needs that?
Some IoT solutions, like automobiles, do need a national wireless carrier, nonetheless. A car can travel anywhere geographically. If the vehicle manufacturer needs to get data feedback or offer emergency services to a driver, then they must use a national carrier. These days, cars are loaded with devices that can communicate with a nearby tower, probably 4G today but migrating to 5G for the long term. Moving forward, auto manufacturers likely consider satellites for wide area sensor monitoring.
Established IoT Solutions
There are many IoT solutions including LoRa, SigFox, BLE, RFID and WiFi. New low earth orbit (LEO) satellites could be the next wave for IoT connectivity.
LoRa stands for “long range” and the key feature of LoRa is its ability to enable long-range transmissions with low power consumption. LoRaWAN (long-range wide area network) defines the communication protocol and system architecture. LoRa is an official standard of the International Telecommunication Union.
Sigfox is a global network operator that specializes in providing low-power wide area network (LPWAN) connectivity for IoT.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), colloquially known as Bluetooth Smart, is a wireless communication technology designed for short-range communication between devices.
RFID, for radio-frequency identification, is essentially an electronic bar code that uses bar tag, a tiny chip attached to or implanted in an object containing information that can be read at short range via radio waves.
In many of these IoT applications, 5G plays a supporting role, aside from vehicles, as the backhaul provider of choice. With more LoRa gateways, you can have the backhaul connected to 5G for extended coverage.
5G is more about the connection of routers, video cameras, and devices with power sources. The 5G solution today supports broadband, not narrowband.
On the other hand, IoT networks are good for offloading all those pesky small data usage devices from the 5G network, whether public or private, while leaving high priority broadband traffic on 5G.
There are several problems to keep in mind. IoT networks tend to be less secure, have low data throughput, and offer spotty coverage. Offloading to these networks can be good if it’s done with care and security.
Nonetheless, LoRa is a competitive low-cost technology alternative to 5G. Many IoT vendors and users think LoRa is good enough. LoRa makes a lot of sense if you’re monitoring a fixed device or looking at an Amazon device like a RING door monitor. Network connection costs could be quite low if security is not an issue. If security is an issue, 5G is very secure compared to other connectivity technologies.
NB-IoT in 4G LTE & 5G
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a technology that has a lot of potential. Usually, you use a licensed frequency to give you a low power wide area (LPWA) connection. It is a 3GPP standard so it can be used on 4G LTE or 5G networks. The spectrum is generally low-band cellular frequencies, like 700, 800, and 900 MHz.
Devices have been built to last a very long time, some up to 10 years, according to the data sheets. Battery life has been an issue, though.
NB-IoT device selection is limited in 5G, and 3G networks are shutting down. With 4G LTE, then NB-IoT applications likely will run for the next 10 years or so. Just remember that by 2030, MNOs will start to shut down their 4G LTE networks.
As you can guess, carriers like this technology because it’s still 4G LTE or 5G, but narrowband.
Utilities are a key market for these IoT models for remotely monitoring substations and points on power transmission lines. Utilities prefer to have complete control, and not pay the MNOs, deploying a combination of their own licensed bands, usually in the 700 MHz or 900 MHz range, or newly-available CBRS spectrum using the unlicensed GAA or licensed PAL options. A number of utilities have taken this approach,
The Rise of Satellites
Satellites are an option, either geostationary (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, primarily as backhaul solutions for IoT devices that are operating over LoRa or Wi-Fi in remote areas.
GEO satellites use earth stations called very small-aperture terminals (VSAT) that provide two-way communication to almost anywhere. For many remote IoT devices, VSAT is a resilient, reliable backhaul solution. The main VSAT users are oil pipelines and utilities operating in remote areas along with wind farms or hydroelectric dams that need some sort of backhaul.
SpaceX’s Starlink is becoming a cost-effective and reliable go-to LEO solution for planes, ships, oil pipelines and utilities. AST SpaceMobile is offering a competing LEO solution, what they call ‘cellular in space’, basically trying to put 5G in satellites. If the LEO model works, it could displace VSAT for broadband solutions but remain as a very low-cost, low-speed data connection option that a majority of IoT solutions need.
What about Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi companies have always viewed Private LTE (PLTE) and Private 5G (P5G) as competitors, mainly because of LTE-U, LTE in unlicensed spectrum. Today CBRS is an attractive alternative for private networks.
Regardless of what works, unlicensed spectrum is pretty much going to remain dedicated to Wi-Fi for some time. The latest version of Wi-Fi using 6 GHz spectrum will open up new use cases, especially since security has improved dramatically.
Wi-Fi and P5G/PLTE actually complement each other. The signal hand off works better today than it ever has. Nearly every device on a carrier’s network hands off to Wi-Fi at some point.
For IoT functionality, WiFi is the primary choice for in-home and many offices because it’s readily available and cheap. Most IoT devices use Wi-Fi for backhaul. Cable companies rely heavily on Wi-Fi for connecting in-home solutions and out-of-home hotspots.
IoT Use Cases
IoT is everywhere with many uses. This list flags common IoT solutions for each use case and identifies where MNOs are involved:
● Smart cities: parking spaces, pay for parking. (LoRa, SigFox, Wi-Fi, MNO).
● Smart billboards: active signage. (MNO, satellite)
● Connected vehicles: car data auto manufacturers. (MNO)
● Construction: worker safety, geo fencing, equipment tracking. (LoRaWAN, BLE)
● Forestry: monitoring trees, worker safety, fire detection. (A combination of Satellite, Wi-Fi, LoRa.)
● Smart farming: autonomous tractors, monitoring field and ground conditions, tracking predators. (Wi-Fi, LoRa, Satellite, MNO)
● Trains: Worker safety, rolling stock tracking, passenger connectivity (Wi-Fi, MNO)
● Large buildings: offices, hospitals, warehouses, and other large structures for alarms, video cameras, HVAC, lighting controls, other sensing devices. (LoRa, Wi-Fi, BLE, Other)
● Public safety: video surveillance, alarm monitoring (WiFi, MNO)
● Shared scooters and bikes: payment systems, unit tracking. (LoRa, some BLE, MNO)
In the end, the IoT market will develop on next generation wireless platforms. However, it must become more cost-effective for end users to migrate from what they have today. In some instances, government funding may be required for big organizations like utilities to massively overhaul everything they have in place today.
About Wade Sarver:
Consultant and solution manager that’s a 30 year telecom veteran that worked on everything including but not limited to 2 way radio, paging, cellular, 3G, 4G, 5G, and even ISP solutions. Specializing in end-to-end solutions and use cases, guiding teams to solutions. Navigating this constantly changing telecom industry. Now building private network models for teams.
Reach out:
● LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadesarver/
● Blogs are at https://wade4wireless.com/ and https://wadesarver.com
● YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@wadesarver4207
