Over time, the modern industrial revolution takes all our basic needs into its folds. The internet of things showed us a more modernized and cost-effective path, but it also holds the potential to reach corners of the globe.
We have seen the wonders of LTE to connect remote industrial PCs to the grid stations. However, one latest IoT protocol dominates the connectivity niche with its brilliant cost-effective connectivity, more global reach than ever, and not to forget low maintenance costs to turn cities into smart cities, metering into intelligent meters, and the world ecosystem into a smart atmosphere. We are talking about narrowband technology or NB-IoT.
NB-IoT is a cellular technology that enables devices to connect to the internet using low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs). It was designed for machines that need to connect to the internet but don’t require high data rates or extensive battery life.
In recent years, NB-IoT has been gaining traction as a critical technology for deploying the internet of things (IoT).
Businesses are on the road of technical advancements; with so much integration of IoT in several business modules, most businesspeople of any grade are searching for a way to get the most out of their investment without compromising quality.
NB-IoT is the best possible solution here. This wireless communication protocol not only provides efficient connections with longer battery life, but it also holds the authority to be a cost-effective option when compared to other wireless protocols like the LTE Cat 1.
Let’s dive more into the content to analyze NB-IoT’s five significant business benefits.
NB-IoT offers low cost
As discussed above, narrowband technology is a cost-effective option. One of the reasons for this might be that NB-IoT operates on half-duplex communications, which means simplified device implementation.
Both operations are not possible in duplex communications. Furthermore, NB-IoT delivers low data speeds. It has a single antenna with low radio frequency bandwidth. So the installation is pretty simple, which significantly reduces the cost of NB-IoT installation.
Adding more to this, NB-IoT is developed by the 3GPP, which means it can be used on the already available LTE infrastructure as, unlike LTE, NB-IoT supports both 2G and 4G connectivity.
The cost of building and separate infrastructure will be cut down here, and these measures will reduce the overall cost of getting NB-IoT connection to your smart cities and intelligent grid stations.
NB-IoT delivers better global coverage
Nb-IoT is the ultimate answer to the poor connectivity problems in deeply remote areas such as building basements. NB-IoT has good signal repetition, which means it holds a great potential to transfer data to deeply remote regions.
This increases the versatility of NB-IoT. Whether it’s smart metering or smart lighting systems, you will need a sufficient connection to research every corner of the city to make it a connectivity hub.
Although delivering long connection retentions doesn’t come without a cost. By offering significant signals, the data speeds will be low, and power consumption will be high as more energy will be required to breach the obstacles and transmit data.
But NB-IoT is designed for applications that require low latency and meager power consumption, so this won’t be a problem if you plan to implant NB-IoT modems in smart cities and grid stations.
NB-IoT consumers have less power than LTE Cat 1 modules
The power consumption of NB-IoT is lower when compared to LTE Cat 1 modules. NB-IoT optimizes the amount of energy consumed in minor data transmission, ultimately reducing power consumption.
Furthermore, NB-IoT minimizes the power consumption when transmitting at particular data speeds thanks to the battery-powered edge modules.
With the inclusion of features like power-saving mode and extended discontinuous receptions, the overall battery consumption is much less when compared to LTE modules.
NB-IoT modules have longer battery life
NB-IoT modules come with decade-long battery life. Once installed in smart cities or smart meters, the battery can fuel up the sensors for up to 10 years; this is arguably an outstanding achievement as the maintenance cost can be significantly reduced.
You don’t have to change the sensors to continue the connectivity. With NB-IoT gateways, you can enjoy seamless connectivity.
NB-IoT guarantees continuous access to data
NB-IoT operates at low data speeds, which ultimately reduces the power consumption of this wireless protocol, and transferring data becomes more streamlined and without any congestion.
In contrast, other technologies require much more power consumption, resulting in delayed data transfer, and you won’t get a continuous supply of data.
How to achieve all these benefits straightway?
Deploying NB-IoT into your business seems a hectic job, but it is as easy as it sounds. Though there are multiple steps to get this technology running in your industrial PCs or smart meters, the first and the primary is to set up the correct NB-IoT modems.
NB-IoT modems are a type of modem that is designed explicitly for NB-IoT networks. They offer several advantages over traditional modems, including lower power consumption, smaller size, and lower cost. This has led to a surge in NB-IoT modem shipments, as service providers and enterprises look to take advantage of the technology’s cost savings and improved performance.
Eclipse offers a variety of NB-IoT modems for different IoT vertical applications from rugged outdoor use cases such as waterproof IP68 NB-IoT modems for underground manhole water metering to NB-IoT modems that come with an RS485 interface. An RS485 NB-IoT Modem allows for distant cabling distances in electrically noisy environments. RS485 NB-IoT Modem holds the ability to connect multiple electricity meters on the same bus over a distance of a kilometer.
Final Verdict
In recent years, the number of Internet-connected devices has exploded, and this trend is only expected to continue in the coming years. Traditional cellular networks were not designed to handle the massive amounts of data that these devices generate. To solve this problem, network providers are turning to NB-IoT technology.
NB-IoT offers several benefits for businesses and consumers alike. It is a more efficient and cost-effective way to connect devices to the internet, and it can be used for a wide range of applications.
With NB-IoT, businesses can reduce their operating costs, improve customer service, and increase competitiveness. NB-IoT provides consumers with a more convenient and efficient way to connect to the internet and online access services.
