WAN is an emerging technology that offers several benefits compared to traditional technologies. Wireless network technologies such as WiFi, ZigBee, Bluetooth etc can handle only consumer applications of the Internet of Things (IoT), but many industrial, civic, and other IoT applications need to operate over vastly greater territory than these technologies. Even-though cellular and satellite machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies have traditionally filled this gap, but cost, power,and scalability concerns make these choices less appealing for the future. A number of low- power,wide-area networking (LP-WAN) alternatives have arisen that need careful consideration to address these wide-ranging IoT applications.
M2M connectivity options that combine low- power and long-range present huge opportunities. Civic infrastructure systems such as parking resources, traffic control, utilities monitoring and distribution control, and environmental monitoring are just a few. Agricultural uses such as monitoring of crop conditions and livestock movements need wide-area coverage. Asset monitoring and tracking, from taxicabs to refrigerated produce shipments need regional, national, or even worldwide coverage. Transportation infrastructures such as rail lines and roadways need wide-area monitoring. Even consumer applications such as health monitoring could benefit from having an alternative to cellphones for their wide-area connectivity.
LP-WAN Alternatives
SigFox
SIGFOX is the first and only provider of cellular connectivity dedicated to the Internet of Things and M2M communications. Its ultra-narrowband-based radio technology enables long-range two-way wireless Internet connections for a wide array of devices. Its network eliminates the cost and energy-use barriers to wide implementation of IoT and M2M solutions by providing low-throughput communication and greatly extending the battery and service life of connected devices. Sigfox technology has low modem costs and longer battery life,they reduce the time and money spent maintaining and replacing connected devices once they have been installed.
To provide security the SigFox system uses frequency hopping, this helps to avoid message interception and anti-replay mechanisms in their servers and to avoid replay attacks. The content and format of data sent in the transmission is user-defined and the SigFox system is transparent to that data. Only the user knows how to interpret their device information.
LoRaWAN
LoRaWAN is a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) specification intended for wireless battery operated things in regional, national or global network. LoRaWAN target key requirements of internet of things such as secure bi-directional communication, mobility and localization services. This standard will provide seamless interoperability among smart Things without the need of complex local installations and gives back the freedom to the user, developer, businesses enabling the role out of Internet of Things.
The biggest advantage of LoRa is its Low Power Consumption followed by operation in non licensed frequency. With Data range between 0.3 kbps to 50 kbps and limited network range it would be more optimal for communication between end IoT sensors and Network Gateways on LoRa with the long distance communication over conventional Telecom frequencies and hence a Hybrid Model.
Weightless
Weightless is the name for the new standard for machine to machine, M2M communications using white space wireless technology. It is intended to extend the cost advantages of existing short range M2M technologies like Bluetooth and ZigBee to a wide area environment by using frequency hopping spread spectrum technology to enhance range at the expense of data rate.
Technologies Comparison
By Ninu Mohan
Marketing Strategist at Keleno
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