Low-power wide-area network
{{Short description|Type of wireless telecommunication network}}
{{Confuse|Low-power personal-area network}}{{Internet of Things}}
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
- 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.
- Power: LPWAN manufacturers claim years to decades of usable life from built-in batteries, but real-world application tests have not confirmed this.{{Cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Ritesh Kumar |last2=Puluckul |first2=Priyesh Pappinisseri |last3=Berkvens |first3=Rafael |last4=Weyn |first4=Maarten |date=2020-08-25 |title=Energy Consumption Analysis of LPWAN Technologies and Lifetime Estimation for IoT Application |journal=Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) |volume=20 |issue=17 |pages=4794 |doi=10.3390/s20174794 |issn=1424-8220 |pmc=7506725 |pmid=32854350 |bibcode=2020Senso..20.4794S |doi-access=free }}
Platforms and technologies
Some competing standards and vendors for LPWAN space include:{{cite journal |last1=Sanchez-Iborra |first1=Ramon |last2=Cano |first2=Maria-Dolores |year=2016 |title=State of the Art in LP-WAN Solutions for Industrial IoT Services |journal=Sensors |volume=16 |issue=5 |page=708 |doi=10.3390/s16050708 |pmc=4883399 |pmid=27196909 |bibcode=2016Senso..16..708S |doi-access=free}}
- 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.{{Cite web|last=Sheldon|first=John|date=2019-06-25|title=French IoT Satellite Company Kinéis Announces Strategic Partnerships With Objenious And Wize Alliance|url=https://spacewatch.global/2019/06/french-iot-satellite-company-kineis-announces-strategic-partnerships-with-objenious-and-wize-alliance/|access-date=2019-08-02|website=SpaceWatch.Global|language=en-US}}
- Chirp spread spectrum (CSS) based devices.
- Sigfox, UNB-based technology and French company.{{Cite web|title = SIGFOX Technology|url = https://www.sigfox.com/en/#!/technology|access-date = 2016-02-01}}
- LoRa is a proprietary, chirp spread spectrum radio modulation technology for LPWAN used by LoRaWAN, Haystack Technologies, and Symphony Link.{{Cite web|title = What is LoRaWAN?|url = https://www.link-labs.com/blog/what-is-lorawan|website = Link Labs|access-date = 2023-01-09|language = en-US}}{{cite journal|author1=Jesus Sanchez-Gomez |author2=Ramon Sanchez-Iborra | author5=Antonio F. Skarmeta |title=Experimental comparison of LoRa and FSK as IoT-communication-enabling modulations |journal=IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom'17) |year=2017 |doi=10.1109/GLOCOM.2017.8254530 |s2cid=44010035 }}
- MIoTy, implementing Telegram Splitting technology.
- Weightless is an open standard, narrowband technology for LPWAN used by [http://www.ubiik.com Ubiik]
- ELTRES, a LPWA technology developed by Sony, with transmission ranges of over 100 km while moving at speeds of 100 km/h.{{Cite web |title=ELTRES Technology |url=https://www.sony-semicon.com/en/eltres/index.html |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group |language=en}}
- 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.{{cite book|doi=10.1109/IEEESTD.2017.7920364 |isbn=978-1-5044-3911-4 |title=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 }}
=Ultra-narrow band=
Ultra Narrowband (UNB), modulation technology used for LPWAN by various companies including:
- Sigfox, French UNB-based technology company.{{Cite web|title = SIGFOX Technology|url = https://www.sigfox.com/en/#!/technology|access-date = 2016-02-01}}
- Weightless, a set of communication standards from the Weightless SIG.{{Cite web |title=Weightless-N – Weightless |url=http://www.weightless.org/about/weightlessn |access-date=2016-02-01 |website=www.weightless.org}}
- NB-Fi Protocol, developed by WAVIoT company.{{Cite web|url=https://waviot.com/technology/what-is-nb-fi|title=What is NB-Fi Protocol – WAVIoT LPWAN|website=WAVIoT LPWAN|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-18}}
=Others=
- DASH7 Mode 2 development framework for low power wireless networks, by Haystack Technologies.{{Cite web|title = Framework Details|url = http://haystacktechnologies.com/products-and-services/framework-details/|website = haystacktechnologies.com|access-date = 2016-02-01}} 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.{{Cite web|title = Evolution of LTE in Release 13|url = https://www.3gpp.org/news-events/3gpp-news/1628-rel13|website = www.3gpp.org|access-date = 2016-02-01|first = Kevin|last = Flynn}}
- 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.{{Cite web|title = LTE-M, NB-LTE-M, & NB-IOT: Three 3GPP IoT Technologies To Get Familiar With|url = https://www.link-labs.com/lte-iot-technologies/|website = Link Labs|access-date = 2016-02-01|language = en-US}}
- 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.{{Cite news| first = Mike| last = Freeman| title = On-Ramp Wireless becomes Ingenu, launches nationwide IoT network| work = The San Diego Union-Tribune| access-date = 2015-09-14| date = 2015-09-08| url = http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/09/on-ramp-verizon-ingenu-internet-of-things-ATT/}}{{Cite news| title = Ingenu Launches the US's Newest IoT Network| work = Light Reading| access-date = 2015-09-14| url = http://www.lightreading.com/iot/m2m-platforms/ingenu-launches-the-uss-newest-iot-network-/d/d-id/718087}} RPMA is used in GE's AMI metering.{{Cite web |last=St. John |first=Jeff |date=2013-02-01 |title=GE Dives Into AMI Fray With On-Ramp Wireless: Greentech Media |url=http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/ge-dives-into-ami-fray-with-on-ramp-wireless |access-date=2015-09-14}}
- Byron, a direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) technology from Taggle Systems in Australia.{{Cite news |author=Guiterrez |first=Peter |date=October 13, 2016 |title=How Taggle is spreading LPWAN across Australia |work=IoT HUB |url=https://www.iothub.com.au/news/how-taggle-is-spreading-lpwan-across-australia-439355 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}
- Wi-SUN, based on IEEE 802.15.4g.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wi-sun.org/|title=Wi-SUN Alliance|date=2018-08-15|website=Wi-SUN Alliance|access-date=2019-12-16}}