Why IoT changes everything

Massive IoT involves an immense number of low-complexity devices that do not need to communicate with great frequency. Performance does not need to be high, and low transmission latency is not a requirement. Typical use cases include low-cost sensors, meters, wearables and trackers.

Many of these can be deployed in challenging radio environments, such as a basement of a building or on a moving piece of machinery. These are often used to send occasional signals for up to 10 years without a change of battery, making power consumption and conservation critical aspects.

Enabling technologies:
Massive IoT is supported by Long Term Evolution Machine Type Communication (LTE-M) such as CAT-M1 and Narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT). These are 3GPP standardized low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies based on LTE that enable extreme coverage and extended battery lives for ultra-low complexity devices.

CAT-M devices have relatively greater capability and are more complex than NB-IoT devices, making them better suited for applications that require relatively higher throughput, lower latency, connected mode mobility, better positioning and voice connections. NB-IoT is ideal for very low throughput applications that are tolerant of delay but require extreme coverage, and it can also be deployed in the guard-band of an LTE carrier, making use of spectrum that is otherwise unused.

Real-world cases: 
Two million smart meters for Telia | Award-winning long-range Telstra NB-IoT

Broadband IoT leverages the capabilities of mobile broadband connectivity to provide much higher data rates and lower latencies, while utilizing functionalities that are specific to Machine Type Communications (MTC) for coverage extension and extended device battery life.

Targets a wide range of use cases in areas including automotive, drones, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), utilities, manufacturing and wearables.

Enabling technologies:
Broadband IoT applications generally require greater capabilities than CAT-M or NB-IoT can provide. Long Term Evolution (LTE) offers high spectral efficiency and data rates, low latencies and has been enhanced with extended device battery life and improved coverage. Mechanisms and solutions are also available to establish fast connection and data delivery with radio interference as low as about 10ms, or to switch coverage modes based on radio conditions.

A more recent addition, New Radio (NR) Reduced Capacity (RedCap) also offers similar data rates with improved latency, device energy efficiency and spectrum efficiency, and has the potential to support 5G NR features such as enhanced positioning and network slicing.

Real-world cases: 
Improved water services with O2 and Northumbrian Water | Safer roads with Telstra and Lexus

Critical IoT targets applications that require extremely low radio interface latency, down to about 1ms, or high reliability with strict latency bounds at a variety of data rates. Use cases include smart grids, smart manufacturing, intelligent transportation systems, healthcare and fully immersive AR/VR that may require 5-20ms end-to-end latency and reliability as high as 99.9999 percent. 
Many use cases require real-time control and coordination between machines, such as automation of energy distribution, detection and restoration of faults in a smart power grid, real-time control of manufacturing robots and real-time coordination between autonomous vehicles and the transportation infrastructure. There are also applications with human interaction, such as teleoperated driving and remote surgery that demand high reliability.

Enabling technologies:
5G New Radio (NR) is a clear technology of choice for enabling Critical IoT, with greater functionality than LTE for enabling Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC). NR operates in a broader range of frequencies with much larger bandwidths than LTE to provide much higher throughputs to a larger number of devices with extremely low latency and ultra-high reliability.

Real-world cases: 
Safe wireless robotic manufacturing for Audi | Sustainable self-driving trucks with Einride and Telia

Industrial IoT (or IIoT), also referred to as Industrial Automation IoT, covers solutions primarily for a manufacturing setup but also others that share common requirements from an industrial network perspective, such as control systems for railways or power generation and distribution. Industry 4.0 envisions a facility for smart manufacturing where all devices and elements, including the very product as its output, are fully connected – like we are pioneering at the Ericsson 5G Smart Factory in the USA. Ericsson 5G Smart Factory in the USA.

Varying use case requirements range from environmental sensors and trackers for inventory and supply management to more demanding connectivity for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), to the most demanding real-time sensors and robotics on the assembly line. 

Enabling technologies:
Due to their widely varying use case requirements, an Industrial IoT network is generally built using a combination of Massive, Broadband and Critical IoT, with Industrial Automation IoT, based on 5G NR, addressing the gaps in capability. 

Real-world cases: 
The mine of the future with Epiroc | The factory of the future with ABB