Analysis of 4G Cellular IoT Networks: NB-IoT, LTE-M, LTE-CAT

This report investigates and compares 4G-based Cellular IoT wireless networks, specifically focusing on NB-IoT, LTE-M, and LTE-CAT. It begins by introducing 4G technology and its significance in connecting various wireless standards, particularly for IoT applications. The report delves into the characteristics of NB-IoT, LTE-M, and LTE-CAT, highlighting their bandwidth, latency, data rates, and power consumption. It provides a comparative analysis of these technologies, examining their suitability for different IoT applications based on factors such as network bandwidth, cost, and indoor penetration. The report also discusses the role of LTE in enhancing network speed and security, and the key differences between the standards, especially in terms of latency, peak data rates, and system bandwidth. Finally, the report summarizes the key differences between LTE-M, LTE-CAT, and NB-IoT, and concludes that all three standards are suitable for fourth-generation wireless network systems.

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Question:-
Investigate 4G based Cellular IOT wireless networks such as NB-IoT, LTE-M, and LTE-CAT.
Compare them and discuss the differences between them?
Answer:-
At this moment, fourth Generation technology is the most popular technical term. 4G is the very
much faster network which is mainly connecting to the several wireless standards. Narrowband IoT is
the one type of LPWAN network which is developed by the third generation partnership project. The
bandwidth limits of the narrowband signal are 180 to 220 kilo Hz [4]. It is a very much new network, and
it is mainly using for IoT applications. Related to mobile networks, NB-IoT deals with the energy-saving
abilities that increase the battery life of IoT applications. Their connectivity is functional, but the
difference depends on the latency and speed [2]. LTE also the standard of 4G networks and it is also
developed by the 3GPP. LTE is very much faster standards and low latency level networks [6]. LTE play a
vital role in the smart recovery of IoT applications that produce on-time information like data trafficking
systems.
The downlink speed of LTE is 1 Mbps and bandwidth 20 MHz, but the downlink speed and
bandwidth of LTE Cat is the greater than 1 Mbps and 1.4 MHz respectively. NB-IoT downlink speed is
only 170kbps and bandwidth is 180 kHz. The main job of fourth-generation LTE is to enhance the
capabilities of the third-generation network. The 4G LTE mainly increases the network speed [1]. Two
basic standards of IoT is the Narrowband-IoT and LTE-M. LTE mainly upgraded the mobile software and
tried to modify the network security. Another gateway of network structure is LTE cat1 and LTE cat 4.
This standard helps to coverage in the whole world. Their speed is very much standard which supported
the internet protocol security. But the NB-IoT mainly specified the 3GPP structure. NB-IoT is extensively
using a broad range of mobile devices [5]. Narrowband is securely maintaining to the limited functional
bandwidth, but this technology cannot communicate between the two different information streams.

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So the fundamental difference between LTE-M, LTE-CAT and NB-IoT are depended on some
essential category like latency level, peak data rate, network and system bandwidth, cost, penetration
etc. Three types of standards are very much appropriate for the fourth generation wireless network
systems [3]. If the operator operates this mobile network very safely, then the battery longevity is very
much more extended (more than seven years). All types of network server are works for the remote
monitoring, application server and system server. All servers are creating the system gateway.Sigfox,
LTE, narrowband IoT both are the medium which is linking between the network stations to an
application server.
Category Long term evolution for
machine (LTE-M)
Narrowband -
IoT
Long term evolution for
category (LTE-CAT)
BANDWIDTH
(network)
1.5 MHz 170 – 180 kHz 40 MHz
ANTENNAS 1 1 2
COST Low but not less than
Narrowband IoT
Low price Higher than NB-IoT and
LTE-M
UPLINK 1Mbit/s 200kbit/s 50mbit/s
DUPLEX Half-duplex Half-duplex Full duplex
VOICE VOLTE NO voice VOLTE

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PEAK DATA
RATE
380-390 kbps Less 100 kbps 25 – 50 Mbps
TRANSMIT
POWER
20 dBm 23dBm 23dBm
BANDWIDTH
(system)
1.4 MHz 200 kHz 20 MHz
INDOOR
PENETRATION
Good Excellent Better than LTE-M
LATENCY 60-100 Ms 1.5-10.5 sec 10- 15 Ms
POWER
CONSUMPTION
Medium Low Higher Than NB-IoT

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References:-
[1] M. Knight, B. Seeber, “Decoding LoRa: Realizing a modern LPWAN with SDR”, In Proceedings of the
GNU Radio Conference (Vol. 1, No. 1), 2016.
[2] M. Lauridsen, I.Z. Kovács, P. Mogensen, M.Sorensen and S. Holst, “Coverage and capacity analysis of
LTE-M and NB-IoT in a rural area”, In 2016 IEEE 84th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC-Fall),
2016, (pp. 1-5) IEEE.
[3] N. Mangalvedhe, R. Ratasuk and A. Ghosh, “NB-IoT deployment study for low power wide area
cellular IoT”, In 2016 IEEE 27th Annual International Symposium on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile
Radio Communications (PIMRC) 2016, (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
[4] V. Petrov, A. Samuylov, V. Begishev, D. Moltchanov, S. Andreev, K. Samouylov and Y. Koucheryavy,
“Vehicle-based relay assistance for opportunistic crowdsensing over narrowband IoT (NB-IoT)”
IEEE Internet of Things journal, 5(5),2016, pp.3710-3723.
[5] Y. Song, J. Lin, M. Tang and S. Dong, “An Internet of energy things based on wireless LPWAN”,
Engineering, 3(4), 2016, pp.460-466.
[6] Y.P.E. Wang, X. Lin, A. Adhikary, A. Grove, Y. Sui, Y. Blankenship, J. Bergman and H.S. Razaghi, “A
primer on the 3GPP narrowband Internet of Things”, IEEE communications magazine, 55(3),
2017, pp.117-123.