Terminology » IoT » IoT Wireless Technologies and Standards: A Comprehensive Guide

IoT Wireless Technologies and Standards: A Comprehensive Guide

iot wireless technology communication standard data rate network

Introduction

Wireless communication is the backbone of IoT systems, enabling devices to connect and exchange data seamlessly. Technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and LPWAN have become integral to IoT applications. This guide provides an overview of key wireless technologies and their associated standards, helping you choose the right communication method for your IoT project.

Each technology serves distinct use cases, from low-power sensors to high-speed data transmission. The common IoT wireless technologies include Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, Zigbee, THREAD, RFID, NFC, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, LTE, ANT+, Cognitive Radio, Weightless N/W, etc.

The idea is to develop IoT products that address the following key challenges:

Trade-off between power, data rate, and coverage range.
Interoperability between wireless standards.
Security aspects.
Prevention of interference and failure modes.

Compare IoT Wireless Technologies

The following table provides a comparison between different IoT wireless technologies:

Wireless Standard	N/W type	USA Frequency	Max. range	Max. data rate and power	Security
WiFi	WLAN	2.4 , 3.6, 5, 60 GHz	100m	6-780 Mbps 6.75 Gbps at 60 GHz ; 1 Watt	WEP, WPA, WPA2
Z-wave	Mesh	908.42 MHz	30m	100Kbps; 1 mW	Triple DES
Bluetooth	WPAN	2400 to 2483.5 MHz	100m	1 to 3 Mbps ; 1 Watt	56/ 128 bit
Bluetooth Smart(BLE)	WPAN	2400 to 2483.5 MHz	100m	1Mbps; 10-500 mW	128 bit AES
Zigbee	Mesh	2400- 2483.5 MHz	10m	250 Kbps; 1mW	128 bit
THREAD	Mesh	2400 to 2483.5 MHz	11m	251 Kbps ; 2 mWatt	128 bit AES
RFID	Point to Point	13.56 MHz	1 m	423 Kbps; about 1mW	Possible
NFC	Point to Point	13.56 MHz	0.1m	424 Kbps; 1 to 2 mW	Possible
GPRS	3GPP GERAN	GSM 850 , 1900 MHz	25 Km/ 10 Km	171 Kbps ; 2W/1W	GEA2/ GEA3 /GEA4
EDGE	3GPP GERAN	GSM 850/1900	26 Km/10 Km	384 Kbps; 3W/1W	A5/4, A5/3
HSDPA/ HSUPA	3GPP UTRAN	850/1700/1900 MHz	27 Km/10 Km	0.73-56 Mbps; 4W/1W	USIM
LTE	3GPP GERAN/UTRAN	700-2600 MHz	28 Km/10Km	0.1-1Gbps ; 5W/1W	SNOW 3G Stream Cipher
ANT+	WSN	2.4 GHz	100 m	1Mbps; 1mW	AES-128
Cognitive Radio	WRAN	54-862 MHz	100 Km	24 Mbps; 1 W	AES-GCM
Weightless -N/W	LPWAN	700/900 MHz	5 Km	0.001-10 Mbps; 40mW/4W	128bit

As there are wireless devices designed and developed based on different wireless standards as outlined above, the biggest challenge is interoperability between these IoT devices in the IoT network and interference among these devices due to frequency of operation either in the same band or nearby bands. The radiated power is also the critical factor to be considered for interference-related issues.

Conclusion

Each IoT wireless technology has its strengths and is suited for specific applications. Technologies like Wi-Fi and LTE offer high-speed data transmission for more data-intensive applications, while others like Zigbee, Z-Wave, and THREAD are optimized for low power and shorter ranges, making them ideal for home automation and sensor networks.

Choosing the right technology depends on the specific requirements of the IoT deployment, such as range, power consumption, data rate, and network scalability. Selecting the right wireless technology and standard is essential for building efficient IoT systems.