NB-IoT Path Loss Experimental Measurements in Urban Outdoor Environments

This paper presents a performance analysis of the Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network coverage in urban outdoor environments, focusing on experimental measurements toward path loss modeling. Conducted in a major Latin American city, the study explores the deployment of NB- IoT in LTE guardband 28 (700 MHz), offering valuable information on the network characteristics and coverage performance within this narrow spectrum. Four path loss models are considered, including comparisons between alpha-beta-gamma (ABG) and close-in (CI) empirical models. The end goal is to provide practical tools to optimize the deployment of the NB-IoT network in various urban environments. The results obtained offer a fresh perspective on the importance of experimental validation to accurately predict NB- IoT network coverage and signal quality in a real-world setting. Notably, the work has been carried out in collaboration with a Chilean telecom operator.