The IoT Glossary:
Smart Connectivity, Simply Explained

You don’t have to be a software engineer to understand the Internet of Things. Below you’ll find simple, non-technical explanations of key IoT concepts you need to know.

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Cellular Networks

What Is LTE Cat-1?

15.02.2022 LTE has more than 20 distinct User Equipment (UE) categories that define specific uplink and downlink capabilities. The lower the category number, the slower its data speeds are. This means LTE Cat-1 consumes less power and is less complex than higher LTE UE categories, making it better suited for battery-powered devices.

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What is Internet Breakout?

03.02.2022 – IoT Security

So an Internet breakout may be your local Wi-Fi router at home - or the gateway of your IoT sensors. In a cellular network internet breakout is the point where the data leaves the operator network. So for local networks such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth - the internet breakout is usually at the location of the device itself - for cellular networks the breakout is in a central place of the home operator - the one that sold the SIM card.

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What Is Data Pooling?

18.01.2022 – Connectivity

In the Internet of Things, data pooling allows manufacturers to have a data allowance for all their devices, rather than paying per device and needing to pay additionally for devices that exceed the data per device.

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What Is Network Redundancy?

16.07.2021 – Connectivity

In common usage, “redundancy” isn’t necessarily a good thing. It means something isn’t needed. But in engineering, redundancy is critical—a redundant component or function serves as a backup in case something crucial fails, so the system can continue operating or quickly be restored. 

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What Is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)?

02.07.2021 – Cellular Networks

When a device attempts to access a GSM or CDMA-based network, it connects to the network’s nearest Base Transceiver Station. The Base Station Controller then relays the connection to the MSC, which is part of the Network Switching Subsystem.

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What Is the AWS IoT Core?

02.07.2021 – IoT Security

AWS calls their IoT Core the “backbone of IoT deployments.” It brings your devices and applications to the cloud and opens the door to using other AWS tools like: 

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What Is IaaS? Infrastructure as a Service Explained

02.07.2021 – IoT Security

IaaS is one of the four types of cloud computing services. The other three types are:

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What Is LoRaWAN? Long Range Wide Area Networks Explained

02.07.2021 – Connectivity

LoRaWAN uses a star network topology—similar to a Local Area Network. All the end nodes connect to LoRaWAN gateways, which connect to one central network server. With LoRaWAN, IoT manufacturers can build or buy their own network infrastructure or find a provider that serves the area they want to deploy.

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What Is 3G? Third Generation Cellular Networks Explained

02.07.2021 – Cellular Networks

3G networks operate on frequency bands between 400 MHz and 3GHz. While they consume 50 percent more power than 2G networks, they also provide greater spectrum efficiency, making them suitable for a wider range of applications.

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