SMART TECH AND IoT
DECT NR+: Low cost, license exempt, non-cellular 5G technology for Massive IoT
By Martin Lesund, technical product manager, Cellular IoT, Nordic
Semiconductor A
s the IoT expands from millions to billions of connections, DECT NR+ offers a scalability and density unmatched by other technologies.
In 2008, Cisco Systems reported the genesis devices were connected to the Internet than people. Fast forward to today and humanity has been left well behind. According to the latest available data, there are 5.35 billion Internet users worldwide, while there are currently approximately 17 billion connected almost 30 billion by 2030.
The growth is in part down to the IoT’s ubiquity. IoT devices are used in all types of industries and consumer markets. Major industry verticals with more than 100 million connected IoT devices include utilities such as electricity, gas and water authorities, as well as waste management, retail, wholesale, logistics and other government sectors. Despite the IoT’s popularity in industrial, business and municipal applications, consumer use still accounts for around 60 percent of all IoT connected devices.
One reason the ratio still favours consumer applications has been the challenge of implementing every network scenario using existing IoT standards. This is particularly the case when IoT device density climbs towards hundreds of thousands or even millions of devices per square kilometer. This “Massive IoT” connection density is something new. Existing cellular networks cannot come close to supporting it. A mobile network in any of the world’s busiest metropolises might expect to cope with 6,000 people per square km simultaneously connecting to the network. Fine for now, but inadequate to support the requirements of Massive IoT into the future. Another problem that has stalled Massive IoT is the proliferation of different wireless
Fig 1: The nRF9161 SiP’s DECT NR+ stack enables massive mesh applications that prioritise reliability, secure connections, long range and scalability
Fig 2: The nRF9131 Mini SiP is a powerful solution perfect for DECT NR+ applications, delivering per- formance and functionality
technologies. For example, smart streetlighting promises a platform for a range of wireless sensors for measuring air quality, light levels, sidewalk occupancy and audio sensors for public assistance in emergency situations. However, where municipalities have not been able to agree is on what wireless
46 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
technology is best suited to the application. The same is true for utility companies employing connected devices such as smart meters.
In search of the perfect standard The lack of convergence on a single wireless
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