Introduction

IoT is a term widely recognized in the global market, describing the communication between objects as well as the connection between these objects and the Internet, primarily utilizing various radiofrequency communication patterns. This concept has gained significant attention with the advent of fifth-generation mobile telephony (5G).

Regulatory Compliance

As radio-emitting devices that connect directly or indirectly to the networks of Brazilian telecommunications service providers, IoT products are subject to conformity assessment and homologation by Anatel.

Emergence of LP-WAN Equipment

With the growing popularity of IoT devices, options for Low Power Wide Area Network (LP-WAN) equipment, including SigFox, LoRa, and Weightless standards, have entered the market.

Industry Developments

Recognizing the need to expand connectivity options for Machine to Machine (M2M) solutions and the subsequent IoT development, the industry has begun investing in the production of devices that are compatible with the existing mobile network infrastructure, aiming to enhance coverage.

However, traditional terminal equipment currently utilized in 4G LTE networks tends to be energy-intensive and incorporates a level of complexity unnecessary for applications requiring low bandwidth and transmission capacity, such as monitoring water levels, gas consumption, or electrical devices.

Advancements in IoT Solutions

In response, the industry has developed IoT solutions that are compatible with 4G LTE networks, addressing the market’s urgent demand for low power and long-range connectivity options. The Narrowband IoT (Nb-IoT) standards were specifically designed to cater to the requirements of low hardware complexity and energy consumption, ensuring the use of minimal yet sufficient resources for network communication with the internet.

To this end, the 3GPP consortium, which comprises representatives from the global industry, has developed new communication categories compatible with the LTE standard, namely M1 and NB1. These categories primarily focus on reducing complexity, bandwidth, throughput, and transmission power.