Low-power wide-area network explained

A low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN or LPWA network) is a type of wireless telecommunication wide area network designed to allow long-range communication at a low bit rate between IoT devices, such as sensors operated on a battery.

Low power, low bit rate, and intended use distinguish this type of network from a wireless WAN that is designed to connect users or businesses, and carry more data, using more power. The LPWAN data rate ranges from 0.3 kbit/s to 50 kbit/s per channel.

A LPWAN may be used to create a private wireless sensor network, but may also be a service or infrastructure offered by a third party, allowing the owners of sensors to deploy them in the field without investing in gateway technology.

Attributes

1. Range: The operating range of LPWAN technology varies from a few kilometers in urban areas to over 10 km in rural settings. It can also enable effective data communication in previously infeasible indoor and underground locations.
2. Power: LPWAN manufacturers claim years to decades of usable life from built-in batteries, but real-world application tests have not confirmed this.^[1]

Platforms and technologies

Some competing standards and vendors for LPWAN space include:^[2]

• DASH7, a low latency, bi-directional firmware standard that operates over multiple LPWAN radio technologies including LoRa.
• Wize is an open and royalty-free standard for LPWAN derived from the European Standard Wireless Mbus.^[3]
• Chirp spread spectrum (CSS) based devices.
• Sigfox, UNB-based technology and French company.^[4]
• LoRa is a proprietary, chirp spread spectrum radio modulation technology for LPWAN used by LoRaWAN, Haystack Technologies, and Symphony Link.^{[5] [6]}
• MIoTy, implementing Telegram Splitting technology.
• Weightless is an open standard, narrowband technology for LPWAN used by Ubiik
• ELTRES, a LPWA technology developed by Sony, with transmission ranges of over 100 km while moving at speeds of 100 km/h.^[7]
• IEEE 802.11ah, also known as Wi-Fi HaLow, is a low-power, wide-area implementation of 802.11 wireless networking standard using sub-gig frequencies.^[8]

Ultra-narrow band

Ultra Narrowband (UNB), modulation technology used for LPWAN by various companies including:

• Sigfox, French UNB-based technology company.^[9]
• Weightless, a set of communication standards from the Weightless SIG.^[10]
• NB-Fi Protocol, developed by WAVIoT company.^[11]

Others

• DASH7 Mode 2 development framework for low power wireless networks, by Haystack Technologies.^[12] Runs over many wireless radio standards like LoRa, LTE, 802.15.4g, and others.
• LTE Advanced for Machine Type Communications (LTE-M), an evolution of LTE communications for connected things by 3GPP.^[13]
• MySensors, DIY Home Automation framework supporting different radios including LoRa.
• NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT), standardization effort by 3GPP for a LPWAN used in cellular networks.^[14]
• Random phase multiple access (RPMA) from Ingenu, formerly known as On-Ramp Wireless, is based on a variation of CDMA technology for cellular phones, but uses unlicensed 2.4 GHz spectrum.^{[15] [16]} RPMA is used in GE's AMI metering.^[17]
• Byron, a direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) technology from Taggle Systems in Australia.^[18]
• Wi-SUN, based on IEEE 802.15.4g.^[19]

See also

• Internet of things
• Wide area networks
• Static Context Header Compression (SCHC)
• QRP operation
• Slowfeld
• Through-the-earth mine communications
• Short range device
• IEEE 802.15.4 (Low-power personal-area network)
• IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX)

Notes and References

1. Singh . Ritesh Kumar . Puluckul . Priyesh Pappinisseri . Berkvens . Rafael . Weyn . Maarten . 2020-08-25 . Energy Consumption Analysis of LPWAN Technologies and Lifetime Estimation for IoT Application . Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) . 20 . 17 . 4794 . 10.3390/s20174794 . 1424-8220 . 7506725 . 32854350 . 2020Senso..20.4794S . free .
2. Sanchez-Iborra . Ramon . Cano . Maria-Dolores . 2016 . State of the Art in LP-WAN Solutions for Industrial IoT Services . Sensors . 16 . 5 . 708 . 10.3390/s16050708 . 4883399 . 27196909 . 2016Senso..16..708S . free.
3. Web site: Sheldon. John. 2019-06-25. French IoT Satellite Company Kinéis Announces Strategic Partnerships With Objenious And Wize Alliance. 2019-08-02. SpaceWatch.Global. en-US.
4. Web site: SIGFOX Technology. 2016-02-01.
5. Web site: What is LoRaWAN?. Link Labs. 2023-01-09. en-US.
6. Jesus Sanchez-Gomez . Ramon Sanchez-Iborra . Antonio F. Skarmeta . Experimental comparison of LoRa and FSK as IoT-communication-enabling modulations . IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom'17) . 2017 . 10.1109/GLOCOM.2017.8254530 . 44010035 .
7. Web site: ELTRES Technology . 2022-08-10 . Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group . en.
8. Book: 10.1109/IEEESTD.2017.7920364 . 978-1-5044-3911-4 . IEEE Standard for Information technology--Telecommunications and information exchange between systems - Local and metropolitan area networks--Specific requirements - Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications Amendment 2: Sub 1 GHZ License Exempt Operation .
9. Web site: SIGFOX Technology. 2016-02-01.
10. Web site: Weightless-N – Weightless . 2016-02-01 . www.weightless.org.
11. Web site: What is NB-Fi Protocol – WAVIoT LPWAN. WAVIoT LPWAN. en-US. 2018-05-18.
12. Web site: Framework Details. haystacktechnologies.com. 2016-02-01.
13. Web site: Evolution of LTE in Release 13. www.3gpp.org. 2016-02-01. Kevin. Flynn.
14. Web site: LTE-M, NB-LTE-M, & NB-IOT: Three 3GPP IoT Technologies To Get Familiar With. Link Labs. 2016-02-01. en-US.
15. News: Mike. Freeman. On-Ramp Wireless becomes Ingenu, launches nationwide IoT network. The San Diego Union-Tribune. 2015-09-14. 2015-09-08.
16. News: Ingenu Launches the US's Newest IoT Network. Light Reading. 2015-09-14.
17. Web site: St. John . Jeff . 2013-02-01 . GE Dives Into AMI Fray With On-Ramp Wireless: Greentech Media . 2015-09-14.
18. News: Guiterrez . Peter . October 13, 2016 . How Taggle is spreading LPWAN across Australia . IoT HUB . September 23, 2021.
19. Web site: Wi-SUN Alliance. 2018-08-15. Wi-SUN Alliance. 2019-12-16.