Implementation of LTE Cat-M Technology for Smart Measurement Scenarios

Abstract

The requirements introduced in Directive 2019/944 of the European Parliament for smart metering scenarios, which differ from the ones defined in ITU-R M.2410, accelerated the integration of cellular technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT). With the release of cellular IoT (CIoT) technologies in the Czech Republic, recently LTE Cat-M, the focus shifts towards evaluating the performance in massive scenarios where thousands of devices are connected to one base station. This paper examines the feasibility of implementing LTE Cat-M communication technology in Network Simulator 3 (NS-3) to cover massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC). The paper analyzes the capabilities of cellular modules within the selected simulation tool Networks Simulator 3 (NS-3), including the LENA module. First, simulation scenarios are created to validate and benchmark the performance of legacy LTE/LTE-A networks with attention to (mMTC) scenarios. The key output is the determination that the 4G networks are unsuitable for these scenarios. Further, based on the obtained data, the initial discussion on the requested implementation to support the LTE Cat-M in the NS-3 is provided, pointing out the exact changes associated with the physical layer.