NB-IoT application scenarios: smart street lights, smart parking, smart logistics

There are many wireless communication technologies in the Internet of Things, which are mainly divided into two categories: one is short-range communication technologies such as Zigbee, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Z-wave; the other is LPWAN (low-powerWide-AreaNetwork, low-power wide-area network), That is, wide area network communication technology. LPWA can be divided into two categories: one is LoRa, SigFox and other technologies working in unlicensed spectrum; the other is 2/3/4G cellular communication technologies supported by 3GPP, such as EC-GSM, LTE Cat-m, NB-IoT, etc.

NB-IoT refers to NarrowBand-Internet of Things technology. Focusing on the Low Power Wide Coverage (LPWA) Internet of Things (IoT) market, NB-IOT is an emerging technology that can be widely used around the world. NB-IOT uses the license frequency band, and can be deployed in three ways: in-band, guard band, or independent carrier to coexist with the existing network.

NB-IoT is an emerging Internet of Things technology. It has attracted much attention because of its low power consumption, stable connection, low cost, and excellent architecture optimization. Huawei, as a domestic leader in the research and development of NB-IoT technology, has also attracted much attention from the scientific and technological circles.

NB-IoT application scenarios

Does smart parking apply NB-IoT?

There have been many applications of technical means for garage parking, each with its own characteristics. The current difficulty is the problem of communication network coverage.

On-street parking is convenient for car owners to park, but it is not conducive to road traffic, and the number of on-street parking spaces in megacities is decreasing. Road-occupied parking usually adopts manual charging, POS charging, and auxiliary charging by geomagnetic vehicle detector.

NB-IoT technology is used in car detectors, which can save batteries for several years, network coverage is in place, labor costs are saved, road congestion is reduced, and good parking habits are cultivated.

Does smart street light support NB-IoT?

Smart street lights belong to municipal projects, and power supply is not a problem, but mainly tariffs. At present, it is mainly road section management. There is also single lamp management, which adopts PLC+GPRS mode of communication. Due to the fixed location of the gateway, the requirements for signal coverage are high. The comprehensive smart street light uses LTE communication due to the need for WiFi coverage. 

The network coverage advantage of NB-IoT and the advantages of tariffs can penetrate into the system of single lamp management.

Does elevator IoT support NB-IoT?

The control box of the elevator is mostly on the roof, and the data is obtained by connecting to the CAN bus. There are modes that use GPRS for separate communication, and there are networking modes that use Zigbee+GPRS. Due to the independence and high-value characteristics of elevators, the network coverage advantage of NB-IoT can facilitate the management of fixed assets.

Does smart logistics support NB-IoT?

The tracking of high-value items usually adopts the M2M+GNSS mode, which is mainly used in container locks, cash boxes, vaccine boxes and other fields. In order to ensure the working time of 1~3 months, a large battery is required.

NB-IoT technology can solve the problem of low power consumption, but it needs to be established when network coverage is in place and global roaming access is available.