Energy Consumption Analysis of NB-IoT for Very Large Sensors

Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technology, which is used in many IoT applications. Additionally, it is also widely used for real-time monitoring systems. This paper presents an energy analysis of NB-IoT, where a number of sensors per node is large. In this case, the power very critical. The analysis considers the different power-saving features of NB-IoT, such as extended discontinuous reception (eDRX), power saving mode (PSM) and type of battery. The results of the analysis show that research findings indicate that the number of sensors values (either 15 or 30) and the battery type have a minimal impact on energy consumption. Concerning battery life, VRLA batteries outperform LI-PO batteries, enabling longer operational periods. In conclusion, the battery type significantly influences the NB-IoT device's usage duration, with VRLA batteries proving more suitable for extended use compared to LI-PO batteries. NB-IoT can significantly reduce the energy consumption of large amount of sensors.