Makhalanyane, ThapeloHlabishi, Kobo I2026-09-102026-09-102026-08http://hdl.handle.net/10204/14935Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) has emerged as a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology for industrial and enterprise IoT applications, offering licensed spectrum operation with guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS). This work presents a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to deploying a private NB-IoT network using open-source platforms. Existing literature on open-source NBIoT implementations is reviewed, and candidate platforms, including OpenAirInterface (OAI) and srsRAN, are evaluated against commercial solutions. A suitable open-source NB-IoT prototyping platform is then selected based on its demonstrated compatibility with commercial offthe-shelf (COTS) user equipment and robust support for 3GPP Release 13/14 features. The complete system architecture is detailed, including the eNodeB implementation on USRP B210 software-defined radio hardware and its integration with a lightweight Evolved Packet Core (EPC) optimised for IoT applications. A comprehensive testing methodology is employed to progressively validate the system, from basic signal generation and synchronisation through broadcast channels and random access procedures to end-to-end data connectivity. Experimental results using commercial off-the-shelf equipment demonstrate successful deployment, achieving a measured uplink throughput of 11 kbps, a downlink throughput of 17 kbps, and latency ranging from 300 ms to 15 s, depending on signal conditions. This work provides researchers and practitioners with a fully reproducible framework for establishing cost-effective private NB-IoT networks suitable for industrial automation, smart agriculture, environmental monitoring, and enterprise IoT deployments.FulltextenNarrowband Internet of ThingsNB-IoTPrivate NetworksLow Power Wide Area NetworkLPWANConference Presentationn/a