LPWAN: Advantages and Disadvantages

This page explores the advantages and disadvantages of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), along with a general overview of what they are.

What is LPWAN?

Introduction: LPWAN stands for Low Power Wide Area Network. It’s a type of wireless network specifically designed for low-power Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications. Essentially, an LPWAN is a low-power WAN system that provides long-range communication between connected devices or sensors while maximizing battery life.

Here’s a visual representation of the LPWAN standards and their developing organizations:

LPWANs are used in various applications, including:

• Smart Metering
• Smart Parking
• Smart Grid Control
• Smart Security
• Smart Cities
• Smart Agriculture
• Asset Tracking
• Smart Home Automation
• Critical Infrastructure Monitoring
• Personal IoT Applications
• Logistics

The following are some popular LPWAN technologies:

• NB-Fi
• DASH7
• SIGFOX
• LoRa
• EC-GSM
• NB-IoT
• LTE-M
• Weightless

Refer to an LPWAN tutorial to understand the basic components used in LPWAN network architecture.

Benefits or Advantages of LPWAN

Here are the key benefits of using an LPWAN:

• Long Range: LPWANs offer a considerable communication range, typically from 5 Km to 30 Km.
• Low Power Consumption: Devices connected to an LPWAN consume very little power, resulting in extended battery life (approximately 10 years).
• Low Cost: The cost of LPWAN devices (sensors) and gateways is generally lower compared to other wireless technologies.
• Wide Coverage with Few Access Points: LPWANs require fewer access points (base stations or gateways) to cover large areas, like a city or even an entire country.
• Robustness in Complex Environments: The use of sub-GHz frequency bands makes LPWANs more resilient to interference and signal degradation in challenging environments.
• Excellent Penetration: LPWAN signals can penetrate walls and building basements effectively.
• Simple Installation and Management: The smart architecture of LPWANs makes network installation and management relatively easy.
• Secure Communication: LPWANs employ encryption algorithms to ensure secure data communication between nodes and gateways.

Drawbacks or Disadvantages of LPWAN

While LPWANs offer numerous advantages, they also have some limitations:

• Low Data Rate: LPWANs are designed for low data rate applications. They are not suitable for applications that require high-bandwidth communication.
• High Latency: LPWANs can experience high latency between end-to-end nodes, making them unsuitable for applications requiring real-time or near-real-time responses.
• Technology-Specific Limitations: Be sure to understand that each type of LPWAN technology (LoRa, NB-IoT, etc.) will also have its own limitations in addition to these general disadvantages.

Conclusion

LPWAN technologies, including NB-Fi, LoRa, EC-GSM, NB-IoT, LTE-M, Sigfox, and Zigbee, offer a powerful solution for connecting low-power devices over wide areas. Understanding the benefits and limitations of each technology is crucial to leverage LPWANs effectively.