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These days, some Internet of Things companies are experiencing significant anxiety, and this anxiety is also affecting operators. This is mainly due to the withdrawal of frequencies from 2G networks; 2G devices that were able to connect to the internet before can no longer do so. Several years ago, some major operators signaled their intention to shut down 2G networks, prompting companies in the industry chain to transform actively and embrace the operators’ main network services ； Some companies, on the other hand, shift to other markets, moving from developed **regions to less developed areas. This is due to the laws of the market. Today, operators in countries such as China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Finland, and Norway have all phased out their 2G networks. To enable customers in the 2G network market to switch over, most operators have launched NB-IoT networks to facilitate the upgrade to these new types of networks. Many major operators around the world have deployed NB-IoT networks. However, proponents of 2G networks often argue that with such wide coverage, low costs, and a highly developed industry ecosystem, why not use it? Under the pressure of KPI targets, some employees from service providers, with no other options, assure their customers confidently: \"With my extensive network, how could I just shut it down at will?\" It is up to the operators to decide whether to turn off the 2G network or not. For example, whether a carrier builds a 5G network doesn’t seem to be entirely up to the carrier. **If they don’t issue you a license, you won’t be able to build it no matter what. **You’ve been given a license; it doesn’t seem possible not to build it. Some people say that the technology is not yet mature, that the return on investment is too low, that 4G networks are sufficient and there is no need for 5G networks, and so on. Happiness in pictures can be just words spoken aloud. But when it comes to making actual decisions, strategic thinking marked by great wisdom is required. In the early stages of network construction, reliance on international standards, as well as the maturity of communication equipment, chips, and terminals, helps to achieve a certain balance; once this is achieved, the construction process naturally accelerates. When ordinary people start to adopt terminals with a good cost-performance ratio, it will drive an accelerated deployment of network infrastructure. Looking back at history, we are surprised to find that as we move from 4G to 5G, many conservatives argue that 4G’s fast network has not yet fulfilled its potential, and that investing in 5G is not worthwhile. However, it failed to realize that 5G networks are designed for specific use cases – they are not merely networks for humans, but also need to meet the requirements of connected vehicles and the Internet of Things. This has happened before when switching from 3G to 4G. But when the 3G network completes its historical mission, you will realize that even the largest investments have their value. Switching from a 2G network to an NB-IoT network also entails the same sense of responsibility associated with operating a network. China Telecom and China Unicom are willing to shut down their 2G networks, as the value of those networks is approaching zero. But for China Mobile, the embarrassment stems from various aspects. On the one hand, there is a desire to continue leveraging the remaining value of 2G networks, while on the other hand, there are concerns about the rise of NB-IoT networks offered by other operators. The rise of the sharing economy in the previous two years gave the conservatives an advantage again. It is extremely difficult to achieve large-scale user growth without continuing to invest in the optimization and maintenance of 2G base station networks. Now, under the ** strategic plan, the phasing out of China Mobile’s 2G network due to frequency reallocation will serve as a catalyst for the shattering of such illusions. China Mobile has transferred the 5M frequency bands of its 2G network (904–909MHz / 949–954MHz) to China Unicom for the development of 4G networks, and specific deadlines have been set. Before December 2019: Complete the relocation process in 30%~40% of the provinces. Before May 2020: Complete all evacuation tasks. At the same time, China Mobile plans to allocate at least 5M of spectrum for the development of 4G networks. China Mobile’s usage of the 900MHz frequency band for its 2G network will be reduced from 20M to 10M or even less. As 2G spectrum resources diminish, China Mobile’s 2G network experience will decline significantly. “Always online! ”It is our ideal vision for the Internet of Things! To prevent 2G devices from remaining connected to the network, operators disconnect them from the network when no data is being exchanged, so that other users can access the network. This is because 2G networks use a signaling interaction model, and each base station has a limit on the number of concurrent connections. 2G base stations consume a lot of power; operators don’t mention it, and consumers aren’t concerned either. 2G terminals have high power consumption; to extend battery life, engineers use a shutdown mode for the communication module, reconnecting to the network only when data needs to be sent. It doesn’t work for terminals that are supposed to receive downstream data. To meet the large number of low-speed IoT connection demands, operators urgently need to create a network designed to serve devices, replacing the temporary 2G networks in use, and thus achieving a transition from a network focused on serving people to one focused on serving devices. According to the predictive analysis by the 5G IoT Industry Alliance, low-speed cellular IoT smart devices are seeing rapid growth, which includes the fast expansion of NB-IoT smart devices as well as the continued use of 2G devices. NB-IoT is not simply a replacement for 2G; it incorporates many features typical of the Internet of Things, including wide coverage, the ability to support a large number of connections, low power consumption, low cost, resistance to interference, high security levels, and the fact that users do not need to maintain the network. In 2019, the number of new NB-IoT projects increased significantly, while there were hardly any new 2G projects. Many people subconsciously think that I already understand GPRS well; isn’t NB-IoT just a replacement for it? Those who work in the terminal industry think this way! Those who work on modules think this way! Those who work in chip manufacturing think the same way! However, many people are wrong in thinking that they were once leaders in GPRS applications. To achieve the transition from GPRS to NB-IoT, it is necessary to understand the advantages of the new technology and avoid the shortcomings of the old one, so as to be well prepared to cope with the changes in the market. This diagram is just a simple comparison, intended to illustrate the differences between the two. The transmit, receive, and IDLE states of GPRS are very regular, with an interval of 4.615 ms between two transmissions or two receptions. Since GPRS is a constant connection, in practical applications operators do not want the devices to remain online all the time; they often disconnect them from the network in order to avoid occupying their spectrum resources, resuming communication with those devices only when data needs to be sent or received. For battery-powered devices, it is found that staying online results in high power consumption; therefore, they are turned off when not in use. They are activated again only when it’s time to send or receive receipts. This model did not exist in the early days of GPRS; rather, it was through the efforts of operators and terminal manufacturers that such a compromise solution was developed as GPRS terminals evolved. When designing NB-IoT, the goal is to keep smart devices connected at all times while minimizing power consumption; it is also necessary to meet communication requirements in situations with weak signals without having to rely on complex network topologies. When the signal strength is low, the transmission time for NB-IoT can be extended to 20 seconds, while the reception time can be either 0, or between 20 seconds and 255 seconds. ACK is used to confirm messages, and power-saving modes such as PSM or eDRX are also available. The IDLE mode can be determined by the operator; it can be 2 seconds, or it can also be 8 seconds, 10 seconds, 60 seconds, etc. Based on the analysis in the figure above, if terminals continue to follow the GPRS design approach, engineers can easily imagine what challenges will arise. Never go down a dead end! This is data captured by instruments at -137dBm for NB-IoT, and it shows a significant difference from the GPRS data. If we compare the data of NB-IoT and GPRS at their respective extreme conditions, that is, at -137dBm for NB-IoT, the maximum transmission current is 500mA and the average current is 180mA, whereas GPRS reaches a maximum of 2A. However, the transmission time for NB-IoT can be as long as 20 seconds, while that for GPRS is only 0.577 ms. Although the current required for a single transmission is lower in NB-IoT compared to GPRS, the transmission time can still be much longer. According to the law of conservation of energy, and based on the energy required for a single transmission, NB-IoT requires 3700 mAS of energy, which is far greater than the 1.154 mAS required by GPRS. Therefore, if an 18505 battery is used, its maximum transmission current is 100mA, which is not sufficient to meet the energy requirements for long-duration transmissions in NB-IoT. According to calculations, a supercapacitor with a capacity of at least 0.133F is needed, whereas GPRS only requires a capacitor with a capacity of 0.018F. If the design approach of GPRS is followed, it is not possible to fully replace the design approach of NB-IoT in terms of battery selection, capacitor configuration, power supply design, and other aspects. Design thinking for IoT system architecture: As a technology aimed at improving operational efficiency in various industries, the IoT requires companies to possess design thinking skills for system architecture. This is mainly because the Internet of Things involves an entire industrial chain; it requires not only international standards, but also network infrastructure built by operators, chips designed by chip manufacturers to meet specific requirements, rapid assistance from module manufacturers in helping end-users develop products, as well as hardware components such as sensors, antennas, and batteries. Additionally, it necessitates Internet of Things cloud platforms, device management, software updates, system testing, network security, and product certification. Although you are just one link in the entire industrial chain, you still need to have a mindset that encompasses the whole chain. To understand users, design product solutions that meet their needs. One should put themselves in the user’s shoes and consider whether they would be willing to use my solution. Think on a larger scale, and learn to leverage resource advantages through **management-oriented thinking**. One needs a rich imagination; fields with high ceilings imply lower risks. One must have a mindset of technological innovation, with each generation being better than the previous one, just as the waves behind push those ahead. Ecosystem thinking in the Internet of Things industry: The emergence of any new phenomenon requires extensive trial and error, with partners along the ecosystem chain participating throughout the process. Since it is ecology, an ecological way of thinking is necessary. The emergence of chips cannot achieve economies of scale relying solely on PPT promotions. There must be \"industry leaders\" willing to take the risks for it. Huawei HiSilicon’s advantage lies in its advantage over time; aside from its own efforts, a number of module manufacturers and device manufacturers have helped it to test different approaches. Lacking any alternative, many industry leaders are still reluctant to give up the competitive advantages that new technologies bring. Thanks to NB-IoT, Quectel (603236) experienced rapid growth, rising to the first tier of global communication module manufacturers and successfully listing on the A-share main board. Thanks to NB-IoT, Ningbo Water Meter (603700) is able to maintain its leading position in the smart water meter industry, and it is also listed on the main board of the A-share market. Thanks to NB-IoT, Jinka Smart (300349) was able to transition from 2G networks to NB-IoT networks, thereby securing a dominant position in the field of cellular IoT meters. When an IoT terminal or solution is launched, whether it can be accepted by the market depends on everyone’s overall capabilities. Here, price is not the decisive factor; quality is what matters, because we are not dealing with a B2G or B2B market, but rather a B2G2C or B2B2C market driven by the trends of the times. From relationship-based business models that can be managed to those that cannot, consumer acceptance will affect every link in the industrial chain. If NB-IoT is designed following the approach of GPRS, it will inevitably create problems for itself. This conclusion also applies to the approach of LTE design, as well as to the design approach of counterfeit mobile phone products. These days, operators are gradually phasing out 2G networks, while the network coverage of NB-IoT is expanding and improving. The operators’ cellular IoT has enabled a transition from 2G networks to NB-IoT networks, and other elements of the industry chain will also keep up, including chips, modules, devices, and platforms. Reality does not lie, and the results will convince many people. Therefore, it is necessary to examine everything from the source: the design of the chip itself; the power supply design for the chip; the power supply design for the module; the power supply design for the terminal device; the power supply system for the battery; the design of the power circuit; as well as the selection of crystals, PAs, switches, filters, and so on. Every detail plays a role in determining the success or failure of the product! May everyone make steady progress on the path toward the large-scale deployment of the Internet of Things! Looking at the phasing out of 2G networks by China Mobile, it will become normal for devices to be unable to connect to 2G networks, and many channel providers will continue to persuade end-users to use 2G networks. However, the channel suppliers can stop at any time; they will soon switch to selling NB-IoT networks. It’s of no use; as a provider of smart terminals, if you don’t have a few months of preparation time, it’s simply impossible to make a quick switch. When you watch helplessly as your competitors win orders from your regular clients, all you can do is sigh in frustration! The withdrawal of 2G networks due to frequency reallocation represents a rare opportunity for turnaround in the market for many innovative customers! The NB-IoT network will handle the massive number of IoT connections required by operators! According to the latest statistics published by relevant communications industry media, the number of NB-IoT users has now exceeded 60 million. The number of users of NB-IoT gas meters and NB-IoT water meters both exceeds 10 million; Fuzhou has installed 300,000 smart water meters using NB-IoT technology, making it the first place in the country to implement large-scale commercial use of this technology. Against the backdrop of exceeding 60 million connections, the industry predicts that NB-IoT is likely to reach 100 million connections, enabling large-scale commercial use. Overall, driven by the continuous decline in module costs and the emergence of technologies that are candidates for 5G use, NB-IoT technology is experiencing rapid growth. It is reported that the monthly increase in NB-IoT users has surpassed that of 2G IoT users. During the first 9 months of 2019, NB-IoT experienced robust growth in various sectors and gained industry recognition, setting a solid foundation for it to become the leader in the 5G IoT field. The latest research from Counterpoint IoT shows that the global number of cellular connections for the Internet of Things will exceed 5 billion by 2025, with NB-IoT accounting for nearly half of that total.