Internet of Things (IoT)

Lecture 4
IoT Network Connectivity
IoT: 4-layer Model
Integrated
Applications

Information
Processing

Network
Infrastructure

Sensing and
Identification
IoT: 4-layer Model Protocols

Network
Connectivity
IoT Connectivity Options

Source: ITU Workshop on Spectrum Management for Internet of Things Deployment, 22 November 2016, Geneva
4
 IoT design requirements

IoT Network Impact on IoT Systems Design

Scale Tens of thousand sensors in a given site; or millions distributed geographically
More pressure on application architectures, network load, traffic types, security, non-standard usage pattern
Heterogeneous Vast array of sensors, actuators, and smart devices – IP or non-IP
end-points Diverse data rate exchange, form factor, computing and communication capabilities, legacy protocols

Low Capex and May be deployed before activation, maybe or cannot-be accessed once deployed
Opex requirement • Low numbers of gateways Link budget: e.g: UL: 155 dB (or better), DL: Link budget: 153 dB (or better)
• Devices deliver services with little or no human control, difficult to correct mistakes, device management is key
Criticality of Human life critical (Healthcare), Critical infrastructure (Smart Grid)
services Stringent latency (10ms for SG) and reliability requirements, may challenge/exceed network capabilities of today

Intrusiveness Things with explicit intent to better manage end-users (eHealth, Smart Grid)
Issues of Privacy become major obstacles

Geography Movement across borders

Issues of numbering for unique identification

Source: ITU CoE training on BB networks planning, Bangkok, Sep 2017 5

 IoT network connectivity requirements
IoT Network Impact on IoT Systems Design
Resource- Severely resource constrained (memory, compute)
constrained Cost motivation: compute/memory several orders of magnitude lower, limited remote SW update capability, light
endpoints protocols, security
Low Power Some end-point types may be mostly ‘sleeping’ and awakened when required
• Sensors cannot be easily connected to a power source
• Reduced interaction time between devices and applications (some regulations state duty cycle of no more than 1%)
• Idle mode most of the time (energy consumption of around 100 µW). Connected mode just for transmission (mA)
• < 100 MHz clock frequency
• Embedded memory of few Mb
Embedded Smart civil infrastructure, building, devices inside human beings
Sensors deployed in secure or hostile operating conditions, difficult to change without impacting system, Security

Longevity Deployed for life typically, have to build-in device redundancy

Very different lifetime expectancy, rate of equipment change in IoT business domains much lower than ICT Industry
High Sensitivity Gateways and end-devices with a high sensitivity around
on reception -150 dBm/-125 dBm with Bluetooth lower than -95 dBm in in cellular

Source: ITU CoE training on BB networks planning, Bangkok, Sep 2017 6

 IoT Technical Solutions

➢ Fixed & Short Range

▪ RFID
▪ Bluetooth
▪ Zigbee
▪ WiFi
▪ ….

➢ Long Range technologies

▪ Non 3GPP Standards (LPWAN)
▪ 3GPP Standards
Short Range IoT Solutions
- RFID
- Bluetooth
- ZigBee
- WiFI
- 6LoWPAN
 RFID: Radio Frequency Identification
➢ Appeared first in 1945
➢ Features:
▪ Identify objects, record metadata or control individual target
▪ More complex devices (e.g., readers, interrogators, beacons) usually connected to a host computer
or network
▪ Radio frequencies from 100 kHz to 10 GHz
➢ Operations:
▪ Reading Device called Reader (connected to banckend network and communicates with tags using RF)
▪ One or more tags (embedded antenna connected to chip based and attached to object)
 Bluetooth
➢ Features:
▪ Low Power wireless technology
▪ Short range radio frequency at 2.4 GHz ISM Band
▪ Wireless alternative to wires
▪ Creating PANs (Personal area networks)
▪ Support Data Rate of 1 Mb/s (data traffic, video traffic)
▪ Uses Frequency Hopping spread Spectrum
➢ Bluetooth 5:
▪ 4x range, 2x speed and 8x broadcasting message capacity
▪ Low latency, fast transaction (3 ms from start to finish) Data Rate 1 Mb/s: sending just small data packets

Class Maximum Power Range

1 100 mW (20 dBm) 100 m
2 2,5 mW (4 dBm) 10 m
3 1 mW (0 dBm) 1m
 ZigBee
➢ Operations:
▪ Coordinator: acts as a root and bridge of the
network

▪ Router: intermediary device that permit data to

pass to and through them to other devices

▪ End Device: limited functionality to communicate

with the parent nodes

Low cost and available

 WiFi
➢ Wireless Alternative to Wired Technologies
➢ Standardized as IEEE 802.11 standard for WLANs

Standard Frequency bands Throughput Range

WiFi a (802.11a) 5 GHz 54 Mbit/s 10 m

WiFi B (802.11b) 2.4 GHz 11 Mbit/s 140 m

WiFi G (802.11g) 2.4 GHz 54 Mbit/s 140 m

WiFi N (802.11n) 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz 450 Mbit/s 250 m

IEEE 802.11ah 900 MHz 8 Mbit/s 100 M

 WiFi HaLow

A new low-power, long-range version of Wi-Fi that bolsters IoT

connections • More flexible

• The protocol's low power

Wi-Fi HaLow is based on the IEEE 802.11ah specification consumption competes
with Bluetooth

• Higher data rates and

Wi-Fi HaLow will operate in the unlicensed wireless spectrum in wider coverage range
the 900MHz band

Its range will be nearly double today's available Wi-Fi (1 kilometer)

WiFi HaLow • More flexible

• The protocol's low power

consumption competes with
Bluetooth

• Higher data rates and wider

coverage range

Picture Source: Newracom

 6LoWPAN
➢ IPv6 over Low -Power Wireless Personal Area Networks
Long Range IoT Solutions
- Non 3GPP
- 3GPP

• The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) unites [Seven] telecommunications standard
development organizations (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC), known as “Organizational
Partners” and provides their members with a stable environment to produce the Reports and
Specifications that define 3GPP technologies.
IoT Long Range Technical Solutions
LORA (Long Range)

Amsterdam become the first

city covered by the LoRaWAN By the end
network of
Jun 2015
2016
All France territory covered by
2015
Semtech develop LoRaWAN network: Bouygues
LoRaWAN network Telecom
2013 Creation of
LoRa alliance

2010

Cycleo developed LoRa technology

 LORA - Features
➢ LoRaWAN is a Low Power Wide Area Network

➢ Modulation: a version of Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) with a typical channel bandwidth of 125KHz

➢ High Sensitivity: End Nodes: Up to -137 dBm, Gateways: up to -142 dBm

➢ Long range: up to 15 Km

➢ Strong indoor penetration: With High Spreading Factor, Up to 20dB penetration (deep indoor)

➢ Robust Occupies the entire bandwidth of the channel to broadcast a signal, making it robust to channel
noise

➢ Resistant to Doppler effect multi-path and signal weakening.

 LORA - Architecture
End Device

End Device
Cloud LoRa
Gateway

Email
End Device LoRa Network
Gateway Server Application
Server

Customer IT

End Device Type of Traffic Data packet

Payload ~ 243 Bytes

Remote
Security AES Encryption Monitoring
Modulation LoRa RF (Spread
Spectrum)
Range ~ 15 Km
Throughput ~ 50 Kbps
 LORA – Device Classes
Classes Description Intended Use Consumption Examples of Services

The most economic

A communication Class • Fire Detection
Listens only after Modules with no
(« all ») energetically..
end device latency constraint • Earthquake Early
transmission Supported by all modules. Detection
Adapted to battery powered
modules
Modules with latency
Description
The module listens constraints for the Consumption optimized. • Smart metering
B at a regularly reception of Adapted to battery powered
adjustable Temperature rise
messages of a few modules •
(« beacon ») frequency
seconds

C Modules with a
• Fleet management
Module always strong reception Adapted to modules on the grid
(« continuous »)
listening latency constraint or with no power constraints • Real Time Traffic
(less than one Management
second)

Any LoRa object can transmit and receive data

 Sigfox – Development

Mar 2017
2012 2013 2014 2016

60 countries
First fundraising All France San-Francisco 42 covered by
Launch of the of Sigfox territory is become the first US. countries, the end of
Sigfox company to covered by Sigfox State covered by
network 1000 2018
cover France network Sigfox customers
 Sigfox – Overview
➢ First LPWAN Technology (BPSK based transmission)
➢ The physical layer based on an Ultra-Narrow band wireless modulation
➢ Proprietary system
➢ Low throughput ( ~100 bps)
➢ Low power
➢ Extended range (up to 50 km)
➢ 140 messages/day/device
➢ Subscription-based model
➢ Cloud platform with Sigfox –defined API for server access
➢ Roaming capability
➢ Takes very narrow parts of spectrum and changes the phase of the carrier radio
wave to encode the data
Sigfox - Architecture
Frequency Band Ultra Narrow Band
Range ~ 13 Km
End Device
Throughput ~ 100 bps

End Device
Cloud Sigfox
Gateway

Email
End Device
Sigfox
Gateway Network
Server

Customer IT
Type of Traffic Data packet
End Device
Payload ~ 12 Bytes
Security No security
Remote
Time on air Up to 6 seconds Monitoring

7
 Weightless - Overview

➢ Low cost technology to be readily integrated into machines

➢ Operates in an unlicensed environment where the interference caused by others cannot

be predicted and must be avoided or overcome.

➢ Ability to operate effectively in unlicensed spectrum and is optimized for M2M.

➢ Ability to handle large numbers of terminals efficiently.

Frequency Narrow Type of Traffic Data packet

Band Band
Payload ~ 200 Bytes
Range ~ 13 Km
Throughput ~ 10 Mbps Security AES Encryption
 Weightless – Development

2012 2014

White Space
Creation of First Weightless-N
spectrum is coming - First version
Weightless Special network deployed in
Starts ratified in USA Q3 released
Interest Group London
specification 2012, UK expected Q2
2014
Weightless – Versions
Weightless-N Weightless-P Weightless-W

Communication 1-way 2-ways 2-ways

Range 5Km+ 2Km+ 5Km+

Battery life 10 years 3-8 years 3-5 years

Terminal cost Very low Low Low-medium

Network cost Very low Medium Medium

Data Rate Up to 10 Mbps Up to 100 Kbps Up to 200 Kbps

 RPMA – Overview
➢ Random Phase Multiple Access (RPMA) technology is a low-power, wide-area channel
access method used exclusively for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication
▪ Uses the popular 2.4 GHz band
▪ Offer extreme coverage and High capacity
▪ Allows handover (channel change) with Excellent link capacity

➢ RPMA is a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) using

➢ Convolutional channel coding, gold codes for spreading
➢ 1 MHz bandwidth
➢ TDD frame with power control in both open and Closed Loop Power Control

TDD
frame
 RPMA – Development

September 2016 2017

2008 2015

RPMA was it was renamed RPMA was RPMA will be

developed by On- Ingenu, and implemented in many introduced in many
Ramp Wireless to targets to extend places others countries: Los
provide connectivity its technology to Austin, Dallas/Ft. Angeles, San
to oil and gas the IoT and M2M worth, Franscisco-West
actors market Hostton,TX,Phenix,AZ, Bay,CA,Washington,D
…. C, Baltimore,MD,
Kanasas City
 EnOcean

➢ Ultra low power radio technology based on miniaturized power converters

▪ Power is generated by harvesting energy from motion, light or temperature (e.g. pressure on a switch or
by photovoltaic cell)
▪ These power sources are sufficient to power each module to transmit wirelessly and have battery-free
information.

➢ Frequencies:
▪ 868 MHz for Europe and 315 MHz for the USA

➢ EnOcean Alliance
▪ By 2014 = more than 300 members (Texas, Leviton, Osram, Sauter, Somfy, Wago, Yamaha ...)
 ZWave
➢ Low power radio protocol
➢ Home automation (lighting, heating, ...) applications
➢ Low-throughput: 9 and 40 kbps
➢ Battery-operated or electrically powered
➢ Frequency range: 868 MHz in Europe, 908 MHz in the US
➢ Range: about 50 m (more outdoor, less indoor)
➢ Mesh architecture possible to increase the coverage
➢ Access method type CSMA / CA
➢ Z-Wave Alliance: more than 100 manufacturers
 LTE-M – (Long Term Evolution for Machines)

➢ Evolution of LTE optimized for IoT

➢ Low power consumption and autonomous

➢ Easy Deployment

➢ Interoperability with existing LTE networks

➢ Coverage upto 11 Km

➢ Max Throughput ≤ 1 Mbps ✓ First released in Rel.1 in 2 Q4 2014

✓ Optimization in Rel.13
✓ Specifications completed in Q1 2016
✓ Available since 2017
 LTE to LTE-M
3GPP Releases 8 (Cat.4) 8 (Cat. 1) 12 (Cat.0) LTE-M 13 (Cat. 1,4 MHz) LTE-M
Downlink peak rate (Mbps) 150 10 1 1
Uplink peak rate (Mbps) 50 5 1 1
Number of antennas (MIMO) 2 2 1 1
Duplex Mode Full Full Half Half
UE receive bandwidth (MHz) 20 20 20 1.4
UE Transmit power (dBm) 23 23 23 20
Release 12 Release 13
• New category of UE (“Cat-0”): lower • Reduced receive bandwidth to 1.4 MHz
complexity and low cost devices
• Lower device power class of 20 dBm
• Half duplex FDD operation allowed • 15dB additional link budget: better coverage
• Single receiver • More energy efficient because of its extended
discontinuous repetition cycle (eDRX)
• Lower data rate requirement (Max: 1 Mbps)
 LTE to LTE-M - Architecture

Frequency Band Narrow Band

Access LTE-M
Range ~ 11 Km
Throughput ~ 1 Mbps

End Email
Device

Present LTE Architecture LTE

Access

New
baseband Customer
Software IT
for LTE-M

End
Device Enhancement for LTE-M Remote
Monitoring
 LTE-M
➢ Licensed Spectrum

➢ Frequency Bands: 700-900 MHz for LTE

➢ Some resource blocks are allocated to IoT on LTE bands

 NB-IoT (Narrowband – Internet of Things)

April May March August November Jun

2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2017+
2015

3GPP 3GPP 1st ive pre-

Narrowband GSMA alignment
‘Cellular IoT’ standard NB-IOT
proposal to Mobile IoT on single Full 3GPP Commercial
Study Item message NB-IoT
Connected created standard Standard rollout
Living Released
 NB-IoT
➢ Uses LTE design extensively e.g. DL: FDMA, UL: SC-FDMA
➢ Lower cost than eMTC (Narrow band: supports 180 KHz channel)
➢ Extended coverage: 164 dB maximum coupling loss or link budget (at least for standalone) in
comparison to GPRS link budget of 144dB and LTE of 142.7 dB
➢ Low Receiver sensitivity = -141 dBm
➢ Long battery life: 10 years with 5 Watt Hour battery (depending on traffic and coverage needs)
➢ Support for massive number of devices: at least 50.000 per cell
➢ 3 modes of operation:
▪ Stand-alone: stand-alone carrier, e.g. spectrum currently used by GERAN (GSM Edge Radio Access Network) systems
as a replacement of one or more GSM carriers
▪ Guard band: unused resource blocks within a LTE carrier’s guard-band
▪ In-band: resource blocks within a normal LTE carrier
NB-IoT - Architecture
Frequency Band Ultra Narrow Band HD-FDD
p/2 BPSK, p/4 QPSK Class
Range ~ 11 Km
3 (23 dBm) Class 5 (20
Throughput ~ 150 Kbps dBm)

End Device Email

LTE Access

New baseband Customer IT

Software for NB-
IoT

End Device
Remote
Monitoring
NB-IoT – Spectrum & Access
Designed with a number
of deployment options
for licensed GSM ,
WCDMA or LTE spectrum
to achieve efficiency

Stand-alone operation
Dedicated spectrum.
Ex.: By re-farming GSM channels

Guard band operation

Based on the unused RB within a LTE
carrier’s guard-band

In-band operation
Using resource blocks within a normal
LTE carrier
 Future Issues of IoT
❖ Data Ownership
❖ Rights around derivative use of data
❖ Dynamic decision rights (change in consent)
❖ Consumer awareness
❖ Privacy rights
❖ Cybersecurity
❖ Liability (decision made by AI: health, transportation)
❖ curacy
❖ Public profit sharing
❖ Preventing oligopolies (Large tech companies taking over)
❖ Fairness (Some may not be able to afford)
❖ Disposal of electronic waste Source: Dr. Shoumen Datta of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)