LPWAN COMPARISON
Learn your connectivity options for IoT
LoRaWAN
LoRaWAN is a LPWAN protocol specification built on top of the LoRa technology developed by the LoRa Alliance. The hardware uses proprietary, chirp spread spectrum (CSS) radio modulation technology enabled by a RF IC of a single vendor - Semtech. There are currently 3 classes of LoRaWAN: A, B, and C. The majority of all end devices we see today are class A which does not support firmware-over-the-air.
Good For: Smaller sized networks or end devices with less frequent uplink requirements
PROS:
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Excellent Sensitivity = Range
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Mature Ecosystem
CONS:
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HEAVY Spectrum Usage: 125Khz / channel
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Class A/C uncoordinated transmissions
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Class B requires end device module crystal
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Class B has 128-256 second latency
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No FOTA (firmware-over-the-air) method for large networks
NB-IoT
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a LPWAN radio technology standard developed to be connected using licensed cellular telecommunications bands to be operated by telecom companies
Good For: Public Network Applications especially logistics, city-to-city, outdoor tracking applications, & consumer products
PROS:
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Projected World Wide Coverage
CONS:
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Higher power consumption (over 4X more than Weightless)
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No Private Networks (Public Only - Must Work with Telecom)
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Recurring Subscription Fees ($/device)
Weightless
Weightless is a narrowband LPWAN part of a truly open standard developed by the Weightless SIG. Weightless was designed to be the most reliable connectivity option for IoT end devices.
Good For: Private Industrial, Building, Office, City Networks with high uplink and/or high downlink requirements.
Why companies choose Weightless?
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Private/Public Network Flexibility
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Firmware-Over-The-Air
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HIGH Reliability requirements
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Large Scale Network with frequent uplink transmissions
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Downlink oriented applications
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Lower latency requirements 4-8 secs
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Higher Data Rate
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Narrowband 100kHz (8 x 12.5kHz sub-channels)
DECISION TREE
Weightless NB-IoT LoRaWAN
Licensed Frequencies
NB-IoT
*NOTE Weightless can also operate in
licensed sub-GHz frequencies
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Subscription model $/device/
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Higher Power Consumption (3-4X more than Weightless)
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Data must go through operator
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CANNOT be used to private networks
Unlicensed Frequencies
(ISM Bands)
Weightless or LoRaWAN
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Firmware-Over-The-Air
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Very Spectrum Efficient (12.5Khz/channel)
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Bidirectional Communication
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Synchronous network - Highly Scalable
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Open Standard
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Robust FEC Convolutional Coding
LoRaWAN
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No Standard Firmware-Over-The-Air [1]
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Poor Spectrum Efficiency (125 Khz/channel)
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Limited Downlink
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NOT synchronous = prone to collisions [2]
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NOT an Open Standard - Single RF IC Vendor
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Basic Hamming Coding
[1]technically possible using class C for very small # of devices but NOT standardized or scalable; class C is VERY power draining and not suitable for battery powered devices
[2] Class B is synchronous but has 128-256 sec latency and requires special hardware - end devices must have crystal (hardware availability?)