IoT operators at present have many choices for connecting their IoT units with mobile know-how. Your subsequent IoT deployment would possibly thrive on low-data, low-power requirements resembling NB-IoT or LTE-M. Or, perhaps you’re wanting ahead to New Radio requirements RedCap and eRedCap, which can supply stronger efficiency on 5G networks. For a lot of IoT deployments, nevertheless, optimum connectivity comes from current and well-established 4G networks. In truth, IoT’s legacy 4G requirements, Cat 1 and Cat 1bis, stay excellent for a wide range of IoT use instances. Right here’s why, adopted by some examples of the most typical Cat 1 IoT use instances of at present.
Introducing the Cat 1 and Cat 1bis Requirements
It’s vital to see that one mobile know-how isn’t essentially higher than one other, however quite—from Cat 1 to RedCap—the vary of connectivity choices merely gives totally different capabilities. Selecting a module to attach your IoT gadget will be like shopping for a automobile: Do you want a piece truck, a passenger van, or a compact commuter? The reply depends upon what you need the automobile to do for you. Equally, your alternative of mobile IoT know-how depends upon the necessities of your explicit use case.
You’ll need to take into account the next options or capabilities when connecting your IoT gadget:
- Bandwidth
- Vary
- Energy consumption
- Community availability
- Price
The aim is to decide on the know-how that provides the very best match on your wants throughout all these domains. That may be NB-IoT or LTE-M—however, extra typically than you would possibly suppose, it’s Cat 1 or Cat 1bis.
What’s Cat 1, and How Does it Differ from Cat 1bis?
Lengthy-term evolution (LTE) Cat 1 is a mobile normal first outlined in 2008 beneath the cell networking authority 3GPP’s official Launch 8. This normal helps a obtain price of 10 megabits per second (Mbps) and an add price of 5 Mbps, which is a perfect switch price for a lot of IoT functions, together with video and voice functions, that want throughput larger than the 1 Mbps price of LTE-M.
The modules that assist Cat 1 connectivity have two antennae. Modules that use the up to date Cat 1bis normal—first outlined in 3GPP’s 2016 Launch 13—want solely a single antenna. Elimination of one of many antennae simplifies type issue, reduces the variety of required parts, and due to this fact lowers price.
Extra importantly, nevertheless, the Cat 1bis normal is an optimized model of the LTE Cat 1 normal. For instance, it provides a simpler Energy Saving Mode together with different efficiencies—however works on the identical community infrastructure as any Cat 1 gadget, so it will possibly function anyplace, on any LTE community worldwide.
| What does the bis in “Cat 1bis” imply? Most mobile engineers can clarify what Cat 1bis is, however few know the place it received its identify. Bis isn’t an acronym, neither is it an obscure know-how description. Fortunately, there’s a easy clarification. Bis is a Latin phrase which means “twice” or “second.” The implication is that Cat 1bis is the second model of the Cat 1 normal. When 3GPP’s engineers developed the Cat 1bis normal, they wanted a designation that mirrored each the updates and a necessary similarity to the unique Cat 1 normal. They settled on including this Latin modifier, ensuing within the time period Cat 1bis. |
5 IoT Use Circumstances for Cat 1 and Cat 1bis Connectivity
The important thing advantages of Cat 1 and Cat 1bis are world availability, connection pace, and similarity to 3G connections (thereby simplifying migrations as 2G and 3G networks sundown). Every of the next use case examples demonstrates a number of of those benefits.
1. International Asset Monitoring Programs
Cell community operators should spend money on know-how upgrades to assist connections by way of LTE-M or NB-IoT. In some elements of the world, MNOs selected to spend money on LTE-M; in others, they invested in NB-IoT, with some areas supporting each. This has resulted in uneven availability.
International asset monitoring programs require world protection to allow constant and continuous monitoring everywhere in the world. Since each mobile community already helps Cat 1, Cat 1 or Cat 1bis is usually the only option for uninterrupted connectivity.
2. Client IoT Merchandise for a International Market
Say you promote e-scooters in numerous cities around the globe. Some areas assist LTE-M, whereas others don’t. (For now, we’ll put aside NB-IoT, which usually lacks the bandwidth you want for IoT functions—together with over-the-air upgrades.)
On this situation, the standard strategy is to create two stock-keeping models (SKUs) for a similar product. One SKU represents e-scooters with LTE-M modules. One other SKU represents the identical mannequin e-scooter with a Cat 1 module. The higher resolution is to create a single Cat 1bis SKU, even when Cat 1bis modules find yourself costing slightly extra on a per-part foundation than LTE-M modules, since you’ll save price in the long term.
This single-SKU strategy is useful as a result of SKU proliferation provides appreciable complexity and price to your operation. As talked about, in contrast to LTE-M, Cat 1 protection is obtainable on any mobile community. Utilizing a Cat 1 module to attach all of your e-scooters, you may subject a single SKU and significantly simplify your stockkeeping and logistical operations.
3. IoT Video
Each Cat 1 and Cat 1bis have sufficient pace and bandwidth to switch video information whereas LTE-M could not. That makes them excellent selections for a spread of client IoT merchandise, from sprint cameras to safety programs the place video is required.
4. IoT Voice
Equally, Cat 1 and Cat 1bis assist voice functions. On the earth of IoT, that unlocks a spread of units, from medical alert and PERS units to good dwelling safety merchandise, or some other software that has a voice management component.
5. Low-Energy and Lengthy-Vary Units
As we talked about Cat 1bis gives an efficient Energy Saving Mode, or PSM. This permits IoT units to run on batteries for very lengthy durations—generally as much as a decade or extra. Some units, resembling good meters or environmental or agricultural monitoring units, should keep linked over lengthy distances.
Whereas Cat 1 will not be the only option for each IoT gadget, these examples illustrate a number of the know-how’s strongest promoting factors. Cat 1bis is a wonderful different for mobile connectivity when LTE-M isn’t accessible or when the applying’s required knowledge price is above what LTE-M can ship. Maybe the best benefit of Cat 1, nevertheless, is simply how lengthy it has been round. As a know-how that’s been in use since 2008 or so, Cat 1 is confirmed to be extremely dependable.
That’s additionally true for the {hardware} that makes use of Cat 1 and Cat 1bis. Producers of IoT chips and modules have perfected the options of those requirements and optimized them for IoT. To sum up, Cat 1 and Cat 1bis requirements stay helpful and cost-effective connectivity applied sciences for IoT deployments like those listed above—and lots of extra.
