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Internet of Things (IoT) System Architecture and Technologies, White Paper.

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DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17046.19521

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Internet of Things (IoT) System Architecture and
Technologies
Ahmed El Hakim
Orange Expert – Network Operations
[email protected]
Orange/MEA/MENA/EGYPT/TECHNOLOGY
/CORE AND TRANSPORTS - CONVERGENT NETWORKS

Abstract— the concept of Internet of Things is not new;

Devices have been exchanging data automatically in real II. RELATED WORK
time without human intervention for years. The IoT is the With the potential of IoT, there have already been a
ability to transform ordinary products such as cars, build- number of studies addressing aspects of modeling and
ings, and machines into smart, connected objects that can system setup and technologies of IoT.
communicate with people, applications and each other. Mattern et al. [2] explained that the Internet of Things
Knowing how to connect machines and equipment, enter- represents a vision in which the Internet extends into the
prises can generate valuable data, securely transmit these real world embracing everyday objects. Physical items are
data across multiple networks, collect, store and analyze no longer disconnected from the virtual world, but can be
them in order to turn them into useful information in real controlled remotely and can act as physical access points
time. to Internet services. An Internet of Things makes compu-
ting truly ubiquitous. Hammersmith Group [3] describes
This paper presents a theoretical model of Internet of The Internet of Things which comprises a digital overlay
Things (IoT) eco-system architecture and technologies. of information over the physical world. Objects and loca-
tions become part of the Internet of Things in two ways.
Information may become associated with a specific loca-
I. INTRODUCTION tion. Alternatively, embedding sensors and transmitters
We live in a world where there is so much to do but so into objects enables them to be addressed by Internet pro-
little time. The multitasking capabilities of the present tocols, and to sense and react to their environments, as
generation is at the highest ever rate. The market is flood- well as communicate with users or with other objects.
ed with Technology and Innovations. Yet something Chui et al. [4] explained that the physical world itself is
seems amiss, that something is “Control”. Control over becoming a type of information system. In what’s called
every Hardware, Electronics, Machine or Technology you the Internet of Things, sensors and actuators embedded in
own personally as well as professionally. The ability to physical objects—from roadways to pacemakers—are
start stop, monitor, and control and analyse system is linked through wired and wireless networks, often using
what makes the world truly connected. Expanding control the same Internet Protocol (IP) that connects the Internet.
over things has been a major intent for humans ever since These networks churn out huge volumes of data that flow
the advent of fire. The human breed has been ideating to to computers for analysis. When objects can both sense
invent and disrupt different sectors to makes life easier the environment and communicate, they become tools for
and smoother. understanding complexity and responding to it swiftly.
Connecting was another important aspect. From discover- Accenture & Bankinter Foundation of Innovation [5] ana-
ing new lands across the seas to connecting the people lyzed that “The Internet of Things (IoT) consists of things
through the internet, the world has come a long way. But that are connected to the Internet, anytime, anywhere. In
do we stop here? Off course not, we see the world as a its most technical sense, it consists of integrating sensors
hyper connected cluster of not only humans, but humans and devices into everyday objects that are connected to the
to objects and objects to objects themselves. Internet over fixed and wireless networks.
This is achieved by IoT. A world which is more connect-
ed a world which is smarter. The possibilities are endless, Overall, these studies cover a range of concepts, includ-
on what we can do and what we can achieve. ing ubiquity, unique identification, heterogeneous com-
In 2008, ’things’ connected to the internet were already munication, service, the “smartness” of things and the
more in number than people and by 2020 these internet connection of physical items with the virtual world. In
contrast, in our work we aim to define reference model for
connected things will have already reached 50 billion.[1] IoT explaining its ecosystem and used technologies
In this paper we provide a theoretical reference model
that can be used by operators and network designers to III. BACKGROUND
determine the proper setup for IoT inter-communication, In this section, we define the IoT communication and
system architecture and common technologies. exploring its Eco-system including the function of the key
components and elements.

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A. Historical Background provide us various applications towards a common user
The concept of enabling devices with the ability to com- or machine goal.
municate with each other, without human interaction, * The Global Standards Initiative on Internet of Things
has been a subject of experimentation many times (IoT-GSI) concluded its activities in July 2015 to estab-
throughout the decades. From the 1930s to the 1980s. lish the new Study Group 20 on "IoT and its applications
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, may be a crucial including smart cities and communities". All activities
and first technology for IoT. The roots of RFID technolo- ongoing in the IoT-GSI were transferred to the SG20.
gy can be traced back to World War II. The Germans,
Japanese, Americans and British ,All used radars discov- C. IoT Ecosystem
ered in 1935 by Scottish physicist Sir Robert Alexander The term IoT is used to describe a broad and diverse
Watson Watt to warn of approaching enemy planes while ecosystem that includes a wide range of different
they were still miles away. But there was no way to identi- connectivity types and use-cases. Therefore, it is not
fy which planes belonged to the enemy and which were a helpful to discuss the IoT ecosystem as a whole, and to
country’s own pilots returning from a mission. understand IoT better it is necessary to break it down into
The Germans discovered that if pilots rolled their planes layers.
as they returned to base, it would change the radio signal
reflected back to radar systems. This crude method alerted The IoT ecosystem has five horizontal layers that are
the radar crew on the ground that these were German essential elements which is common to all IoT use-cases,
planes and not allied aircraft. Essentially, this was the first regardless of vertical segment as Figure 1 illustrated [10]:
passive RFID system. Under Watson Watt, who headed a 1. Sensors or controllers (embedded in connected
secret project, the British developed the first active “iden- devices, the “things” in the Internet of Things)
tify friend or foe” (IFF) system. When a British plane re- 2. A gateway device to aggregate and transmit data
ceived British radar signals, it would broadcast a signal back and forth via the data network.
back that identified the aircraft as friendly. RFID works on 3. A communications network to send data.
this same basic concept. A signal is sent to a transponder, 4. Software for analyzing and translating data.
which wakes up and either reflects back a signal (passive 5. The end application service.
system) or broadcasts a signal (active system). Advances
in radar and radio frequency (RF) communications sys-
tems continued through the 1950s and 1960s. Scientists
and academics in the United States (U.S.), Europe and
Japan explored how RF energy could be used to identify
objects remotely. Companies began commercializing an-
titheft systems that used radio waves to determine whether
an item had been paid for or not. [6]

B. IoT Defination
There are multiple definitions but same concept: Figure 1. IoT Ecosystem Layers.

The Internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical That Ecosystem could be considered as a multiple level
devices, vehicles, and other items embedded with elec- system with a deeper view of system layers as the multi-
tronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connec- level architecture of the IoT World Forum Reference
tivity which enable these objects to collect and exchange Model which is quite interesting as it illustrates the vari-
data.[7] ous levels as Figure 2 illustrates:[11]
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system consisting of
networks of sensors, actuators, and smart objects whose
purpose is to interconnect “all” things, including every-
day and industrial objects, in such a way as to make them
intelligent, programmable, and more capable of interact-
ing with humans and each other.[8]
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a global infrastructure for
the information society, enabling advanced services by
interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on
existing and evolving interoperable information and
communication technologies. [9]

The scope of IoT is not limited to just connecting things

(device, appliances and machines) to the Internet, IoT
allows these things to communicate and exchange data Figure 2. IoT World Forum Reference Model
(control & information), processing on these data will

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Physical Devices and Controllers – The model calls this
layer the “things” of the internet of things. From a system
design perspective, the “things” are the sensors and de-
vices that are directly managed by the IoT architecture.
An important IoT concept, Edge Intelligence, to allow
low latency reaction to field events and to allow higher
levels of autonomy and distributed processing, needs to
be implemented at this layer. Figure 3. IoT System Topology
Connectivity – This layer spans from the “middle” of an
Edge Node device up through transport to the cloud.
Many alternatives can be used for communications and
this layer includes the mapping of field data to the logical
and physical technologies used as well as the backhaul to
the on premise or cloud and the next layer, Edge Compu-
ting.
Edge Computing – The next layer in the World Forum
Model architecture is Edge Computing, or more properly
“Cloud Edge” or “Cloud Gateway” computing. Required
to some degree in any IoT system this layer interfaces the
data and control plains to the higher layers of cloud or
enterprise software layers. Protocol conversion, routing to
higher layer software functions and even “fast path” logic
for low latency decision making will be implemented at
this layer.
Data Accumulation – Given the Velocity, Volume and
Variety that IoT systems can provide it is essential to Figure 4. IoT System Inter-communications
provide incoming data storage for subsequent processing,
normalization, integration, and preparation for upstream
applications.
Data Abstraction – In the data abstraction layer we IV. IOT TECHNOLOGIES
“make sense” of the data, collecting “like” information IoT is not a single technology. It is a combination of
from multiple IoT sensors or measurements, expedite sensors, devices, networks, and software that works to-
high priority traffic or alarms, and organize incoming gether to unlock valuable, actionable data from the Inter-
data from the data lake into appropriate schema and flows net of Things. Unlike other technologies that revolve
for upstream processing. around one predominant architecture, device type or con-
Application Layer – This layer is self-explanatory and is nection method, IoT is at its core an assembly of dispar-
where control plane and data plane application logic is ate technologies. A connected machine does not become
executed. Monitoring, process optimization, alarm man- “smart” from a single sensor, or modem, or network, or
agement, statistical analysis, control logic, logistics, con- application alone. It is a combination of all of these piec-
sumer patterns, are just a few examples of IoT applica- es coming together that creates added intelligence.
tions. There are a range of technologies that enable IoT connec-
Collaboration and Processes – At this layer, application tivity, each with benefits and restrictions that are explored
processing is presented to users, and data processed at below.
lower layers is integrated in to business applications. This The most common connectivity options include Proximi-
layer is about human interaction with all of the layers of ty [Like RFID], Wireless Personal Area Networks
the IoT system and where economic value is delivered. (WPAN) [Like Bluetooth], Wireless Local Area Net-
The challenge at this layer is to effectively leverage the works (WLAN) [Like Wi-Fi], Lower-Power Wide Area
value of IoT and the layers of infrastructure and services Networks (LPWAN) [Like LoRa and SIGFOX] and Cel-
below and leverage this into economic growth, business lular or the third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
optimization and/or social good.[12] standards [Like Second Generation (2G), Third Genera-
tion (3G) and Fourth Generation (4G)].
Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrate the IoT system topology Regarding the unlicensed and licensed frequency bands,
and system inter-communications respectively.[13] the availability of suitable radio frequencies is of great
importance for wireless IoT communication. With the
exception of cellular, virtually all major technologies are
designed for using unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and
Medical (ISM) band radio frequencies. The ISM bands
are radio frequencies reserved internationally for Radio
Frequency (RF) applications for industrial, scientific and
medical purposes other than telecommunications.

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The worldwide availability of unlicensed radio frequen- cation, 2G technologies are however not fully optimized
cies is fragmented. 2.4 GHz is the only global ISM-band for data and have limited scalability. 3GPP Release 13
and used for a wide range of WLAN/WPAN technolo- introduced a new feature called Extended Converge-GSM
gies, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Table 1 illustrate the (EC-GSM) that aims to improve the device reachability
available and reserved unlicensed frequencies for wireless by up to 20 dB and create a seven-fold improvement in
IoT Communication per world region.[14] the range of low-rate applications.
3G/4G (HSPA/LTE) – is the leading technology platform
for connecting smartphones and other advanced mobile
devices. Supporting theoretical peak data rates of more
than 100 Mbps, 3G/4G can meet the bandwidth require-
ments of virtually any IoT use-case. 4G LTE is fully op-
timized for high-speed data communication with low la-
tency. Top data rates are however achieved at the cost of
increased radio complexity and power consumption. To
better match the requirements of a wider range of IoT
use-cases with low data requirements, LTE CAT-1 was
added in 3GPP Release 12, published in December 2014.
LTE CAT-1 is optimized for reduced data rates and in-
Table 1. Unlicensed Radio Frequencies for IoT
cludes a power saving feature that can support battery
Reserved and licensed frequency bands is another option life-times of up to 10 years.
for wireless networking solutions. Some frequency bands, 4G-MTC (LTE-M/NB-IoT) – is the emerging technology
such as 169 MHz in Europe, are reserved for specific platform for connecting IoT devices to mobile networks.
industries (in this case utilities). At other times, individual 3GPP Release 13 introduced a number of Machine Type
service providers can obtain licensed spectrum for specif- Communication (MTC) enhancements to the LTE stand-
ic applications. As the issue of spectrum re-farming will ard. The first is referred to as LTE-M (formally eMTC),
remain a hot topic for telecom regulators form many which defines a new low complexity device category type
years to come, some frequencies may potentially be re- that supports reduced bandwidth, reduced transmit power,
served specific IoT-type applications or specific indus- reduced support for downlink transmission modes, ultra-
tries.[14] long battery life via power consumption reduction tech-
niques and extended coverage operation. The second is
NB-IoT that provides improved indoor coverage, support
A. Cellular of massive number of low-throughput Things, low-delay
Cellular is a WAN (Wide Area network) with the long- sensitivity, ultra-low device cost, lower device power
range ability to connect globally using radio waves that consumption, and optimized network architecture. 3GPP
are sent and received via cell towers. Strong connections Release 14 includes improvements for LTE-M and NB-
can be made between a device and a cell tower within 16 IoT such as multicast and positioning, as well as the new
kilometers. It is also possible to connect to cellular net- Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) for automotive
works via satellite, further eliminating barriers to connec- communication.[14]
tivity in remote areas.[15]
The 3GPP family of cellular networks technologies is the * The first officially recognized specifications for 5G
leading platform for wireless communication worldwide. mobile communications will be included in 3GPP Re-
What started out as a single global standard for mobile lease 15, which is scheduled for release in the second half
telephony has evolved into a broad range of 2G, 3G and of 2018. The 5G New Radio (NR) interface is expected to
4G network technologies that operate across an ever- bring new levels of capability and efficiency, as well as
expanding range of frequency-bands and often supporting enable new mission-critical control services with low-
multi-mode operation. From our perspective, we divide latency and high reliability communications links.
the 3GPP family of standards into three main categories:
the legacy 2G standards like General Packet Radio Ser-
B. Lower-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN)
vices (GPRS), the current 3G/4G High Speed Packet Ac-
cess (HSPA) , Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and the Lower-power wide area networks are a type of telecom-
Emerging 4G-MTC (Machine Type Communication) munication network designed to allow long range com-
standards LTE-M and Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT). munications at a low-bit rate for devices such as battery
operated sensors. LPWAN work in the license-free ISM
2G [Global System for Mobile (GSM)/GPRS/Enhanced frequency bands. Two of the main players in the LPWAN
Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) plus Code Di- space are LoRA (long range radio) and SigFox. Each
vision Multiple Access (CDMA)] – is the legacy technol- have a niche in the market, and warrant a detailed discus-
ogy platform used for connecting the vast majority of sion:
existing cellular IoT devices. Supporting data rates of up 1. Long Range Radio (LoRa)
to 50–150 kbps, 2G is sufficient for a wide range of ap- LoRa wide-area network (LoRa WAN) is a LPWAN
plications. Originally designed to enable voice communi- specification intended for wireless, low-cost, battery op-
erated devices in regional, national or global networks.

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LoRa WAN is a product of the LoRa Alliance, an open,
non-profit association of industry leaders that believe the
IoT era is now, and built the network specifically for
IoT/Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connectivity. The goal
of the alliance is to standardize LPWANs being deployed
around the world to enable IoT, M2M, smart city and
industrial applications. The solution is designed to con-
nect over long distances (up to 16 kilometers away), in
harsh environments and in isolated areas (e.g., under-
ground). LoRa provides bi-directional communication
between end-devices and enterprises via a gateway. This Figure 4. IoT Technologies Characteristic
means it is not possible to connect devices as a standalone
service, and businesses still require a Wi-Fi or cellular V. CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
connection to enable communication from the gateway to
the server network.[15]
The Internet of Things is weaving a new worldwide
web of interconnected objects.
2. SigFox
SigFox is a French company founded in 2009, deploys In this paper, we have presented the IoT technology stack
LPWAN using ISM band frequencies for low-energy that consists of multiple layers, including device hard-
ware, connectivity, data management, applications and
objects. The company uses a cellular style system for analytics; illustrating a reference model for IoT communi-
connecting remote devices, and Ultra Narrow Band cation, system architecture and main used wide area net-
(UNB) technology that enables signals to pass through works based on Cellular, WPAN or LPWA technologies.
solid objects, making it ideal for devices deployed under- Finally, The IoT describe the common applications that
ground or in rough terrain. In open space the connection could be implemented by providers to generate new reve-
range is over 40 kilometers. It also has an extremely re- nue stream, enhance agility to reach new levels of
duced power usage rate, making the system practical for achievement by accelerating digital business transfor-
remote deployments that cannot be easily accessed for mation through efficiency, new business and improved
battery maintenance. The standby time for two AA batter- customer experience.
ies in SigFox connected devices is 10 years or more.
However, the network is limited to transmitting only
small amounts of data with a wireless throughput of up to VI. REFERENCES
100 bits per second and a payload size of 12 bytes per
message.10 The SigFox network is best suited to M2M [1] Demystifying Industrial IoT - White Paper, Winjit.
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communicated and/or do not require frequent communi- tern et al., 2010)
cation.[15] [3] “The Internet of Things: Networked objects and smart devices”
(Hammersmith Group, 2010)

C. Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) [4] “The Internet of Things” (Chui et al., 2010/McKinsey & Compa-
Bluetooth is the most famous of WPAN family and con- ny)
[5] “The Internet of Things: In a Connected World of Smart Objects”
sidered a short-range connectivity solution. It operates on
(Accenture & Bankinter Foundation of Innovation, 2011)
the license-free, global 2.4 GHz to 2.485 GHz ISM fre-
[6] Towards a definition of the Internet of Things (IoT), Revision 1
quency band. It is also able to ‘hop’ between frequencies May 2015, IEEE.
to reduce interruptions in connection from other wireless [7] Wikipedia.
technologies sharing the same ISM spectrum. Due to it [8] IEEE.
being a low bandwidth connection, it is not suitable for [9] ITU, ITU-T Y.2060 (06/2012).
transferring large amounts of data; it is best suited to link- [10] The IoT ecosystem, Oct. 2016, STL Partners.
ing sensors and small electronic devices.[15] [11] IoT World Forum, IoTWF 2017
[12] IoT Architecture, iot-transformation, iot-world-forum, Juxtology.
Figure 4 illustrates the various characteristic of the IoT [13] BI Intelligence Aug. 29, 2016, Business Insider.
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compared to each other. Series 2017, Berginsight.
[15] Globalized M2M & IoT Connectivity white paper, Emnify.

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