NB-IoT connectivity

What is NB-IoT?

NB-IoT is a wireless communication technology based on a network optimised for connected objects. This network is designed specifically for low-energy IoT devices, enabling them to remain connected even in environments where the traditional Internet network is less efficient. Thanks to this network, long-range connectivity is ensured with high reliability, thus providing continuous access to the Internet even in isolated areas. This technology also ensures optimal connection management for connected objects, thus guaranteeing efficient use of the Internet in specific IoT contexts. By facilitating data and communications management, NB-IoT ensures better resource management and improved control in deployed IoT systems.

How does it work?

NB-IoT works by using narrow frequency bands to transmit small amounts of data over long distances. These data are sent efficiently, even in environments where data transmission is usually difficult, thanks to the appropriate technologies.

Here are the main aspects of how it works:

• Low energy consumption: NB-IoT is designed for low-energy IoT devices. This means that it can operate for long periods with a limited power source, while ensuring continuous transmission of collected data, which is made possible by advanced power management technologies and optimisations of the batteries of connected devices.
• Long-range connectivity: NB-IoT offers long-range connectivity. This allows devices to communicate over long distances, ensuring a constant flow of data, which is particularly useful for IoT applications covering large geographical areas. This performance is supported by modern cellular communication technologies and large-scale NB-IoT networks, ensuring extensive and reliable coverage.

In summary, the technology offers reliable, energy-efficient and long-range connectivity for IoT devices. Thanks to its ability to optimise data transmission through the use of advanced technologies, it is an attractive solution for many industrial, domestic and commercial applications, while facilitating the management of data networks and their integration into existing systems. This extensive coverage makes NB-IoT particularly suitable for challenging environments where traditional network coverage may be insufficient.

NB-IoT applications

The potential applications are wide and varied, affecting many sectors of industry and everyday life. Here are some concrete examples:

• Energy management: The technology can be used to monitor and control energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings, enabling significant energy savings while ensuring the safety of electrical installations thanks to sensors.
• Smart farming: NB-IoT sensors can be deployed on farms. They monitor environmental conditions such as soil moisture, temperature and air quality. This helps farmers make more informed decisions to maximise yields, while ensuring the safety of crops and natural resources through high-precision sensors.
• Waste management: Waste containers equipped with NB-IoT sensors can automatically signal when they are full, enabling more efficient collection and reduced costs, while ensuring the sanitary safety of waste management operations, thanks to intelligent sensors that optimise the collection process.
• Connected health: IoT medical devices using NB-IoT continuously monitor patients' vital signs remotely. This offers personalised monitoring and early intervention in case of health problems, while guaranteeing the security of personal data and the confidentiality of medical information thanks to state-of-the-art health sensors.

The benefits of NB-IoT

NB-IoT is a cellular communication technology designed for connected objects with low energy consumption and low data throughput.

• Extended network coverage: It uses existing mobile networks (4G and 5G). This allows the technology to be used in a wide variety of applications, including in rural areas and underground buildings, while ensuring reliable coverage for IoT communication systems deployed in these environments and for connected objects in remote locations. Extended coverage technologies ensure continuous connectivity even in hard-to-reach areas. This makes it possible to maintain reliable communication services, even in isolated areas.
• Low energy consumption: NB-IoT is designed to minimise the energy consumption of connected devices. This allows objects to operate for years on a single battery, reducing system maintenance and replacement costs. This low energy consumption also guarantees an extended battery life, ideal for IoT devices installed in hard-to-reach places where many objects are deployed. These energy management technologies are a key factor in maximising the efficiency of connected objects, while reducing maintenance costs.
• Ease of deployment: The technology can be deployed across any available frequency spectrum, facilitating its integration with existing infrastructure and communication systems. This allows operators to install NB-IoT systems quickly and efficiently without requiring major modifications to pre-existing network systems, while optimising the use of connected objects' batteries. These integration technologies simplify the deployment of connected objects while maintaining their optimal performance, thus making IoT services more accessible to a wider range of applications.

In short, NB-IoT combines advanced network coverage, energy management and systems integration technologies to offer a robust, scalable and cost-effective IoT solution, while guaranteeing reliable and efficient services.

Nexelec solutions

Nexelec integrates NB-IoT technology into its solutions to offer its customers significant advantages. By reducing costs through low power consumption and affordable NB-IoT modules, Nexelec solutions become more economical. In addition, the extended network coverage and massive capacity made possible by this technology significantly improve the performance of Nexelec solutions. They thus offer a more reliable and efficient experience to its users, while exploiting the latest use of communication technologies to guarantee optimal connectivity via modern mobile networks. This innovative use of the NB-IoT protocol allows Nexelec to stand out in a constantly evolving market, where the integration of several networks, such as LoRaWAN, and their optimised management, through the various communication protocols, is essential. LoRaWAN, in addition to NB-IoT, enables extended connectivity over long distances while ensuring low energy consumption, which is perfect for IoT applications requiring reliable, low-cost communication. Choosing the right protocols, such as LoRaWAN and NB-IoT, also guarantees increased performance and efficient data management within communication systems.