The smart building revolution is upon us, transforming structures into dynamic, data-driven environments that optimize energy efficiency, comfort, and security. But at the heart of this transformation lies a crucial element: the network.
Barcelona, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE). During the first day of the conference, we had the opportunity to talk to Youssef Kamel, SVP Ecosystem and Partners at Wirepas.
During the Smart Building Conference at ISE 2024, Kamel detailed the benefits of DECT NR+ as the best non-cellular technology for wirelessly connecting everything in buildings and smart cities.
What is DECT?
Originally, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications was a standard designed for cordless telephone systems. It originated in Europe, where it is the common standard, replacing earlier systems, such as 900 MHz CT1 and CT2. Now used for IoT, it relies on the new DECT-2020 standard.
The DECT-2020 New Radio, also called NR+, was published in July 2020; it defines a new physical interface based on cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) capable of up to 1.2 Gbit/s transfer rate with QAM-1024 modulation.
Main benefits of DECT NR+
Rock-Solid Reliability
Imagine a building automation system where lights go out, sensors fail, and systems go haywire due to network hiccups. DECT NR+ eliminates this fear with its 99.99% packet delivery rate. This exceptional reliability stems from its shared spectrum operation and automatic network formation, ensuring seamless communication even in dense environments.
Lightning-Fast Latency
Latency is a critical factor in smart buildings. NR+ boasts end-to-end latency as low as one millisecond, rivaling wired connections. This enables real-time control of systems, ensuring instant responsiveness for applications like lighting, HVAC, and security.
Scalability for Growth
Smart buildings are constantly evolving, adding new devices and functionalities. NR+ effortlessly adapts to this growth with its scalability. Whether you need to cover a small office or a sprawling campus, NR+ can handle it, supporting over a million devices within a 1 square kilometer area while maintaining its reliability and performance.
Cost-Effective Connectivity
Deploying and maintaining a network can be a significant expense for building owners. NR+ minimizes these costs using the global, license-exempt 1.9 GHz DECT band. This eliminates the need for frequency planning or operator certifications, significantly reducing deployment complexity and costs.
Self-Healing and Adaptive
Imagine a network that automatically repairs itself and adjusts to changing needs. NR+ offers this magic with its self-healing and self-organizing properties. Each node can act as an access point and dynamically change roles based on network requirements. This eliminates single points of failure and ensures the network adapts to traffic fluctuations, ensuring smooth operation.
Building Smarter Applications with DECT NR+
With its unique capabilities, NR+ opens doors to a wide range of smart building applications:
- Real-time building automation: Control lighting, HVAC, and security systems with instant responsiveness, ensuring optimal comfort and energy efficiency.
- Advanced sensor networks: Deploy dense networks of sensors for real-time monitoring of air quality, temperature, occupancy, and equipment performance.
- Predictive maintenance: Enable predictive maintenance by collecting data from sensors and actuators, preventing equipment failures and reducing downtime.
- Improved security: Implement robust systems with low latency communication, ensuring faster response times and better intrusion detection.
- Enhanced occupant experience: Create personalized environments with intelligent lighting, temperature control, and access control, improving comfort and satisfaction.
“What NR+ will effectively do is democratize the ability for any company or organization to build its own private 5G network and run and optimize as they wish, free of a network operator. And do this using the license-exempt and globally available 1.9GHz frequency spectrum dedicated for this technology.” Kjetil Holstad, Nordic Semiconductor’s EVP for Product Management
