Internet of things devices need a communication standard, a universal type of communication which would allow these devices to communicate, no matter who the maker is. The standard is now also a subject of debate, as US and European makers are backing one type, while Huawei and other vendors are backing another one.
As Lightreading writes in a report, Intel, Ericsson and Nokia are backing Narrow-Band Long-Term Evolution (NB-LTE). At the same time, Huawei is more leaned towards the existing Narrowband Cellular IoT (CIoT) proposal.
As the report states, timing is crucial here, as the third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Radio Access Network (RAN) group will meet in Phoenix next week to vote on the proposed LTE specs.
"The 3GPP group’s decision will be key, as narrowband LTE specifications are going to play a crucial role in the development of the IoT market", the report says.
A spokesperson from Intel explained in an email why it is backing NB-LTE over other proposals for narrowband 4G:
The key difference is that the NB-LTE technology allows a high re-use of already existing LTE network technology for both infrastructure and chipset. This will favor a fast adoption and maximize economies of scale. Clean Slate requires dedicated investments for network infrastructure and chipsets, as well as the creation of a new ecosystem. We believe NB-LTE will provide superior technology that leverages existing investments and an existing ecosystem, which we believe will be the key prerequisite for enabling the future of the cellular IoT.
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