Two tech companies have launched a network to connect low-power IoT devices

BI Intelligence

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Satellite telecom Inmarsat and facilities maintenance and management firm Acility have partnered to develop a LoRaWAN network.

Though adding to a wealth of already-existing networks, the new offering provides a compelling mix of low-power and faster data transfers, giving its application more flexibility.

Here are some different potential use cases for this network:

• Asset tracking in the supply chain. Companies are increasingly turning to connected devices and IoT solutions more broadly to monitor all aspects of their supply chain operations, and this network is ideal for asset tracking.
• Agribusiness and the agricultural IoT. This network could be used in connected farming solutions, such as tractors or other harvesting equipment, which can aid in enhancing efficiency in farming operations.
• Oil and gas IoT solutions. GE and other oil and gas equipment providers are increasingly connecting their offerings, typically for predictive maintenance.

This diverse set of applications could help drive the popularity of the network. Many IoT networks are designed specifically for a single use case rather than many different ones. Low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs), for example, are often focused on the industrial IoT. This flexibility could make the network more popular than others that are more narrowly tailored.

Although Wi-Fi and cellular networks can connect IoT devices to the internet, they have inherent characteristics that make them ill-suited to do so for small, low-power components like sensors, smart locks, and smart lights.

BI Intelligence expects that more than 24 billion IoT devices will be installed globally in 2020, and the vast majority of these will fall into the small, low-power category.

So networks that are better suited to connect these low-power IoT devices — notably, Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) — are being developed. These networks can connect devices over large geographic areas because of their long range, but use less battery power on the devices they connect and offer cheaper data subscriptions than traditional cellular networks. Interest in LPWANs among IoT providers and end users is growing in response to the opportunities these benefits present. For example, a municipality deploying parking sensors for a smart transportation project could lower its costs by using a LPWAN instead of a cellular network. It would also then be able to replace the batteries on the sensors far less frequently.

BI Intelligence has compiled a detailed report on LPWANs that explains the impact they will have on the growth of the IoT and the benefits of using LPWANs for IoT connections. It also forecasts the internet connections and subscription revenues associated with these networks and explains in detail the many standards for LPWANs that exist today. Finally, it lays out the current market landscape going forward as different network providers launch LPWANs.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Low Power Wide Area Networks are specifically designed for connecting low-power devices like sensors over a very long range. This makes them well suited to a wide range of IoT use cases like smart agriculture and smart cities.
• Low Power Wide Area Networks can connect these low-power devices at a cheaper cost than existing cellular networks. LPWANs have cheaper hardware costs and data subscription costs because they don’t need to provide the high data rates that cellular networks do.
• BI Intelligence estimates that the total number of IoT devices connected over LPWANs will reach 700 million by 2021. This represents remarkable growth for such a new technology that has little present adoption.
• A number of startups and new networking providers are launching LPWANs using standards that leverage unlicensed spectrum. These providers are trying to secure networking revenues from the billions of low-power IoT devices that will go online over the next few years.
• Cellular network carriers are responding to this trend by developing their own standards for LPWANs that leverage their existing infrastructure that supports their 4G networks. This means they will be competing directly with some of the new providers mentioned above.
• Different LPWAN standards are best suited for specific use cases, and business and government organizations will need to understand the benefits of the various standards to find the solution that fits their needs.

In full, the report:

• Details the broad need for low-cost, low-power internet connectivity for IoT devices that LPWANs will help meet.
• Forecasts the growth of the LPWAN market including new networking providers and traditional mobile carriers that are launching their own LPWANs.
• Examines how LPWANs will be adopted by different industries that are launching IoT projects.
• Compares the distinct characteristics and advantages of different standards for LPWANs.
• Explains how the LPWAN market will develop over the coming years in regards to different standards and competitors.
• Examines what the future of internet network connectivity for IoT devices will look like, including LPWANs and the coming of 5G mobile networks.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of LPWANs.