Narrowband LTE-M System for M2M Communication

The Internet of Things will bring billions of devices that are inter-connected using cellular networks. LTE cellular systems are being deployed worldwide and will remain in place for the foreseeable future. However, LTE was designed for high data-rate broadband services. Even with M2M features being added in LTE Rel-12, it is not optimized for low data-rate and wide area M2M services such as smart meters, remote sensors, and consumer devices. In this paper, we present a design of a new narrowband M2M system built from existing LTE functionalities for Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) systems. Salient features of this new system include low-cost devices, high coverage, long device battery life, and high capacity. It can be deployed using minimum of one GSM channel and can also share spectrum with existing broadband LTE systems. Cost analysis shows significant reduction compared to LTE UEs. In addition, coverage analysis and capacity results are presented. Finally, coexistence with GSM is analyzed.