This document provides an overview of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) technologies. It discusses the key characteristics of LPWAN such as operating at a long range of up to 10km using little battery power and transmitting small amounts of data. It summarizes the major LPWAN technologies including LoRaWAN, Sigfox, NB-IoT and LTE-CAT M1. It also outlines the growth in the number of LPWAN devices, networks and applications. Examples of common LPWAN uses cases like smart metering and asset tracking are also highlighted.

1. Dr Alex Gluhak
Head of Technology, Digital Catapult
alex.gluhak@digicatapult.org.uk
12th September 2018
LPWAN Overview

2. Low Power Wide Area Networks
The five ‘10s’of LPWAN
10 years in
the field
Connect as far
as 10km from the
base station
Cost under $10
per device
Transmit as little
and 10 bytes per
hour
Each base
station should be
able to support
10k devices
2

3. LPWAN Applications

4. LPWAN History
1980 1990
2000 2010 2015
Work on
DataTAC
by Motorola
ARDIS Network
Live (DataTAC)
800MHz
900MHz
First 2G based
data services
1986
2009
Work on Sigfox
and Lora
commences
2012
Semtech
acquires
Cycleo for
$5Mio
Sigfox raises
$2Mio Series A
2011
Huawei aquires
Neul for 25Mio
2014
Neul
commences
work
LoraWAN
launch
3GPP fast-tracks
NB-IoT &
LTE CATM1
2016

5. 5
Current LPWAN contenders
UNB
Symphonie Link
NB-FI

6. 6
Overview of technical features of LPWAN technologies
LORA-WAN SigFox NBIoT CATM1 RPMA NWave Weightless-P
Modulation DSS with chirp
UNB/GFSK/
BPSK
OFDMA/
SC-FDMA
OFDMA/
SC-FDMA
RPMA DBPSK FDMA+TDMA
Frequency
868/
902-928Mhz
868/915
MHz
In band LTE,
guard band,
stand alone
In band LTE 2.4GHz
315/433/
470/868/
915MHz
169/433/470/780/
868/915/923MHz
Coverage 153-161 dB 149-161 dB 164dB 155.7dB 168-172dB 166dB n/a
Bandwidth 125kHz 100Hz (EU) 180kHz 1.08MHz 1Mhz n/a 12.5Khz
Data rate 0.3 to 50 kbps 100bps 0.5-200kbps 1Mbps
624 Kbps DL
156 Kbps UL
100bps 0.2 to 100kps
Max msg /
day
unlimited
140 UL
4 DL
n/a unlimited n/a unlimited n/a

7. 7
LPWAN network (example LoRaWAN)

8. 8
LPWA market developments
0.
75.
150.
225.
300.
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
ModuleshipmentsinMillions
Annual LPWA module shipments
Sigfox LoRa LTE-M NB-IoT Other
Other

9. 9
Sigfox networks globally

10. Sigfox operators

11. 11
LoRaWAN™ network deployments
Legend:
Alliance Member Public Networks
Other LoRaWAN deployment
• 88 network operators
• Operating in 50 countries
• Near 100 Countries with
LoRaWAN deployment
Source: LoRa Alliance

12. 12
Alliance of LoRaWAN™ network operators
Source: LoRa Alliance

13. 13
Mobile IoT network deployments

14. Summary of deployments
Time to
standard
Time to
50 Mio
Public network
connections
Number of
operators
No of
countries
No standard Yet to reach 3 Mio 38 45
6 years 4 years 2 Mio 88 50 / ~100*
2 years Yet to reach unknown 46 30
2 years Yet to reach unknown 13 12
14

15. LPWAN value chain
Chip /
module
provider
IoT device
provider
Base
stations
provider
Network
software
provider
App
enablement
platform
provider
IoT service
provider
End to end LPWAN service
LPWAN network
Chip /
module
provider
End user
Network
operator

16. Value chain actor
Service provider Open Open Open
Network operator Single per country Open
Large MNOs
(licensed spectrum)
Network SW Closed Open Open*
Network HW Closed Open Open*
Device Open Open Open
Module Open Open Open
Chip Open Open* Open
Value chain openness
16

17. 17
Different network business models
Traditional
operator model
Private network
turned public
Crowd-sourced
public network
Private network

18. 18
Private network use case example: Deutsche Bahn
Maintenance of
station clocks
Time
synchronisation
Asset tracking in
stations
Winter service
People counting
on platforms and
ticket counters

19. National network rollout strategies
Upgrade of existing network infrastructure
Build and they will come
Incremental on-demand
Crowdsourced
Own employers
SW only
HW and SW upgrade
New physical site
Dedicated radio sites
Operator network extensions
Partnership of tower provider and HW/SW network vendor
Own customers
Community
19

20. Roaming support
• Coverage extensions for applications
that go beyond own network
boundaries
• Multi-national customers for global
footprint
• Densify network without OPEX
(macro diversity in LoRaWAN)
Roaming support
Operational btw operators in same region
Demonstrated solution between regions
Demonstrated btw operators in same region
Between regions possible but no HW yet
Rift on roaming vs packet brokering in alliance
Demonstrated between operators (VF & DT) and Opcos
More complicated due to different deployment options
Countries may chose to deploy only NB-IoT
Demonstrated by AT&T and their Opco in Mexico
Countries may chose to deploy only LTE-M
20

21. Module vendor strategies to handle market uncertainty
What technology will win?
What network do I have available?
21

22. Top three use cases on LPWAN networks
Security alarms
Smart metering
Asset tracking
Smart metering
Smart city
Smart building
Smart metering
GPS trackers
Smoke/fire alarms
Source: Semtech Source: GSMASource: WND
22

23. Key LPWAN markets
Agriculture
(160)
Smart city
Transportation
(450)
Source: Machina Research
Supply chain
Tracking
(350)
Connected health
(1000)
Retail
goods
(100)
Emergency
Defense (40)
Automotive
(600)
Smart Metering (1300)
Smart
Building
(110)
In 2020, global revenues in B€(*)
23

24. Geo-location market – Asset monitoring and tracking
Asset Tracking
(150) – [RFID,
Inventory]
GPS Location based service
Road traffic mngt
Smart Lighting
Waste mngt
(370)
Environment
(40)
Electrical
Vehicle (20)
Supply chain
tracking (350)
Supply
chain (40)
Warehouse
storage (20)
Stolen
Vehicles
(60)
Smart City, public
transportation (450)
+ Manufacturing / vending machine
Public
Transportation
(20)
Source: Machina Research
In 2020, global revenues in B€(*)
24

25. Principles of network based geo-location
LBS Solver
multipath
Clock SynchronisationDemodulation
accuracy
Demodulation accuracy
• RX signal strength
• Noise level
• Time of Arrival
• Estimated system noise
Clock Synchronisation
• Based on GPS
Multipath
• Work on radio & diversity
Solver
• Range based solver
• Correlation of Time
Differential of Arrival
• Environment modeling
• Propagation behaviors
25

26. Exploiting multiple signals of opportunity
26
Beacons
Dedicated infrastructure
High accuracy
Typically indoor
Cell
Dedicated hardware
Low accuracy
Wide area
GPS/GNSS
Dedicated hardware
High Accuracy
Outdoor only
WiFi
Dedicated hardware
Good accuracy
Urban/hotspot only
No dedicated hardware
Wide area
Variable accuracy
LPWAN
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
LPWAN + TDOA
LPWAN + Wifi
LPWAN + AGPS
LPWAN + GPS
GPRS + GPS
Power consumption profile
Communication Geolocation

27. 27
Asset tracking in end-to-end supply chain
27
LPWAN not
good enough in
warehouse
Wifi not suited
for truck
Beacons
Dedicated infrastructure
High accuracy
Typically indoor
Cell
Dedicated hardware
Low accuracy
Wide area
GPS/GNSS
Dedicated hardware
High Accuracy
Outdoor only
WiFi
Dedicated hardware
Good accuracy
Urban/hotspot only
No dedicated hardware
Wide area
Variable accuracy
LPWAN

28. 28
COLLOS – Collaborative location service
http://preview.collos.org/

29. Disposable LPWAN tags
Sub 1$ tags announced based on printed electronics
29

30. Dr Alex Gluhak
Head of Technology, Digital Catapult
alex.gluhak@digicatapult.org.uk
12th September 2018
Thank you!