Why IoT needs LPWAN

LPWAN deployment for IoT devices aims to provide long-range connectivity. It enables low power consumption for smart IoT devices.

LPWAN stands for Low Power Wide Area Network. The technology emerged in 2013 as a wireless connectivity technology that suits the needs of machine-to-machine communication and IoT devices. However, the technology started gaining traction around 2015 when the GSMA wireless industry association developed a set of standards to help network providers and operators meet their specific cost requirements for power consumption, network coverage, and IoT devices. These standards include LTE-M and NB-IoT. The standards are designed to increase connectivity options for IoT devices with low bandwidth and low latency. LPWAN has become a connectivity option for most IoT devices and its adoption in the IoT space is increasing. LPWAN technology has tremendous advantages over traditional connectivity options, some of which are discussed below.

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Wide area coverage

LPWAN supports communication between IoT devices within a range of 3-20 kilometers. In smart cities, data can be transmitted over long distances via low-power LPWAN.

Low power consumption

The data transmitted by an IoT device affects the power consumption of the device. One of the main benefits of using LPWAN is low power consumption. Using LPWAN, IoT devices can automatically go into sleep mode when not in use. This helps save power as the device consumes very little power when not in use. Due to the low power requirements and low usage, one can expect the battery of these IoT devices using LPWAN to last 5-10 years.

Reduce costs

The use of LPWAN helps reduce the costs associated with IoT devices. Due to the low power requirements, IoT devices can run on low-cost batteries, which reduces the cost of IoT devices. The batteries can also last for 5 to 10 years, which reduces the maintenance costs of these devices. In addition, only a small number of gateways are required to transmit data over LPWAN, which will lead to a reduction in infrastructure costs. For example, despite the high density of buildings in Amsterdam, there are only 24 gateways in the entire city.

LPWAN is expected to become an integral part of IoT connectivity standards. The question now is which LPWAN technology to use. There is no clear answer to this, but before deciding which technology to use, you can consider factors such as the amount of data transmitted, the degree of autonomy required, and the location of the IoT devices.