# Modelling machine type communication in IEEE 802.11ah networks

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an analytical model for Wi-Fi-based machine type communication in IEEE 802.11ah networks, addressing the unique challenges of MTC traffic and enabling performance evaluation of new channel access mechanisms.

## Contribution

It provides the first analytical approach to study Wi-Fi MTC, facilitating the investigation and customization of IEEE 802.11ah enhancements for IoT applications.

## Key findings

- Develops a novel analytical model for Wi-Fi MTC scenarios.
- Enables performance analysis of IEEE 802.11ah channel access mechanisms.
- Supports optimization of Wi-Fi for IoT and MTC deployments.

## Abstract

Wi-Fi was originally designed to provide broadband wireless Internet access for devices which generate rather heavy streams. And Wi-Fi succeeded. The coming revolution of the Internet of Things with myriads of autonomous devices and machine type communications (MTC) traffic raises a question: can the Wi-Fi success story be repeated in the area of MTC? Started in 2010, IEEE 802.11 Task Group ah (TGah) has developed a draft amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard, adapting Wi-Fi for MTC requirements. The performance of novel channel access enhancements in MTC scenarios can hardly be studied with models from Bianchi's clan, which typically assume that traffic load does not change with time. This paper contributes with a pioneer analytical approach to study Wi-Fi-based MTC, which can be used to investigate and customize many mechanisms developed by TGah.