Modeling of Energy Consumption for LTE Cat-M with PSM and eDRX

Inhalt:
The rapid advancement of wireless communication technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT) within the licensed frequency spectrum, now integrated into fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks, underscores the need for effective simulation tools to validate new solutions prior to field deployment. This paper presents our implementation of power consumption optimization features for LTE Cat-M, a prominent cellular IoT technology, with a focus on Power Saving Mode (PSM) and the advanced power-saving mechanisms of Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX). These features are implemented as standalone modules in Network Simulator 3 (NS-3), enabling testing of selected massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) scenarios, such as smart gas or water meters. Simulation results confirm that the combined use of PSM and eDRX can significantly reduce power consumption, thereby extending the lifespan of batterypowered IoT devices.