IoT Technologies
IoT offers a long list of optimization opportunities that can improve your company's profitability very quickly.
Take advantage of the latest developments in IoT connectivity technologies in mobile networks
In DNA’s 5G and 4G mobile networks, your company can rely on the most advanced data communications designed for the Internet of Things, such as NB-IoT and LTE-M. These ensure operational reliability, cost optimization and minimizing power consumption even in most demanding IoT deployments.
Check the availability of DNA’s 5G, 4G, NB-IoT and LTE-M connections in the coverage map (only in Finnish).
NB-IoT
NB-IoT makes multi-year battery lives possible and enables connecting battery powered devices. Because of its excellent coverage, NB-IoT is the right technology in challenging rural and underground environments.
LTE-M
LTE-M provides faster data transfer speed than NB-IoT. It supports long battery life as well and is suitable for needs demanding higher data capacity and mobility.
5G
5G provides extremely low latency. 5G’s IoT standards offer the possibility for massive number of devices, higher data speed, and network slicing for guaranteed data transfer speed.
NB-IoT makes multi-year battery lives possible
NB-IoT (Narrow Band IoT) is suitable for stationary devices that demand multi-year battery lives. Typical usage includes remote reading of water, gas, and electricity meters, smart city and smart building sensors as well tracking devices. Compared to the same frequency 4G, NB-IoT enables maximal, even seven times broader coverage (7x) and supports a larger number of devices. Typical data transfer speed for NB-IoT is 20–250 Kbps.
- NB-IoT a suitable solution for rural areas and indoors.
- Depending on the use case, NB-IoT guarantees up to 10 years battery life, which is based on various battery-saving functions in the NB-IoT network. The device can turn to Power Saving Mode (PSM) and transfer data in a predefined intervals, for example once a day or less often.
- Due to the low data transfer capacity and simple structure, multiple devices and sensors can connect locally to the NB-IoT network.
- An interference-free narrow band is reserved only for NB-IoT devices.
- DNA’s mobile network is ready to take the new NB-IoT device category, Cat-NB2 into use. Cat-NB2 will bring new features to the technology, such as faster data transmission speed, improvements in location based services and extending battery life.
LTE-M offers faster transmission speed
LTE-M is suitable for more real-time applications, which require long-lasting battery life and higher capacity than NB-IoT. Such applications are typically remote reading of electricity meters, asset tracking, electric vehicle charging stations, logistic and healthcare services, and security solutions.
- LTE-M enables faster transmission speed (1 Mbps).
- With LTE-M, it is possible to carry voice calls over the 4 G network (VoLTE, Voice over LTE).
- LTE-M enables mobility of devices.
- LTE-M supports the same battery saving functions as NB-IoT and offers up to 10 years battery life for devices.
- Like NB-IoT, LTE-M is a technology developed for IoT devices within the 4G and 5G standards.
5G comes with extremely low latency
5G has been designed to answer the growing demands of IoT. Standards evolving enables multiple device use for IoT subscriptions, faster data transfer and lower latency. 5G opens completely new possibilities for usage of IoT:
- 5G enables connecting of thousands of devices to the network (Massive IoT, mIoT) within one base station coverage area.
- 5G NR IoT subscriptions will serve real-time IoT needs, like transmitting HD video requiring a lot of bandwidth.
- URLLC technology (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication) provides real-time awareness and enables use cases such as autonomous vehicles, production automation, smart grids, robotics, and remote surgery.
- Multi-Access Edge Computing, MEC, enables real-time applications, which demand especially low latency and large bandwidth. Edge computing brings data processing capacity closer to the user improving processing speed and data security.
- 5G network slicing enables separation of the IoT devices to their own virtual network with guaranteed capacity.
