LPWAN is a bit like a flat surface but in fact carefully prepared soup, stirring gently, you will be surprised to find the hidden treasures!
For M2M communication and Internet, nowadays, network deployment of selectivity is beyond imagination, that can't find the most suitable solution. On a platform, not only networking equipment high growth, but also on the battery life and low data rate is put forward higher request, so LPWAN technology is seen as a prop up its core elements of this demand. However, all kinds of innovative technology in the field of LPWAN appeared, make of competition in this field.
Such as Sigfox, LoRa and Ingenu patent technology already has a very good development blueprint, they focus on the public sector to establish a set of global standards based on unlicensed spectrum available. But, in this process, the popularity of these techniques also faced huge obstacles. Challenge from cellular Internet of things technology, make the already intense competition to play more as a bee.
Not only such, Machina Research chief analyst even said there will be more competitive in the future technology to join in the competition. Weightless - N, Weightless - P, NB - Fi (WAVIoT), Accellus, Flexnet (Sensus), Telensa the UNB and Synergize (Aclara) are worthy of attention, of course this is only a small part in the field of LPWAN. Despite these, you can find other technology on a large number of critical applications.
Ericsson, the Swedish manufacturer of radio service department leader David Hammarwall summarizes the current situation: EC - GSM, NB - IoT and LTE - M1 is LPWAN technology of main competitors in the field of the cellular system, and the future of these techniques depend on the application case of operators and network evolution strategy.
Patent technology vs standard technology
In the future, the rise of a variety of several standard can? Technology of patent technology and standards, whether certain stage drama "rat"? Or is a lot of different technology can coexist last?
Nokia marketing leaders Arne Schaelicke explains why such as NB, IoT standard could be so interesting: "due to Sigfox, LoRa and Ingenu is based on the spectrum, unauthorized access threshold is low, the future, there will be more competitive technology. Obviously, because of the increasing technical types in the band and maximize access devices will make the risk of interference. In on the connection of large area and long term, only authorized spectrum based on cellular Internet of things technology can provide a reliable Internet connection." , Steve Hilton agree, he thinks operators seem to have built a standard network idea, after all, to build a long-term market, cellular iot to minimise risk, and it is a crucial factor.
There is no doubt that in the traditional mobile between suppliers and communication operators, NB - IoT has caused great sensation. Although the standard has not yet come, but the 3 GPP is working to hope in June this year to freeze and publish narrowband Internet of things based on cellular network technology standard NB - IoT.
Although not all technology can survive for a long time, but this does not mean that the standard technology and cellular technology cannot coexist. Instructions may be the best operator side claims to support NB - IoT/LTE Cat - M2, but at the same time they also in cellular networks outside of the other technologies on the corresponding investment.
What kind of technology is more popular? It depends on the technology itself and commercial factors
MachNation research institutions, the founder and general manager Steve HiltonHilton pointed out: if the 3 GPP solution can take a long time to realize, so the patent technology will have a chance to display, so have a chance to further development of technology and customers. And if the 3 GPP solution quickly, the patent technology or will slowly lose now can foresee the development prospect, eventually leading to LPWAN technology become the giant a small part in the connection of the blueprint.
To view from the perspective of business, we need to know all the different LPWAN technology pattern difference, Sigfox and Ingenu is devoted to the author, and LoRa tend to create the entire ecosystem, this means that every technology application case will be different. From the technical level, Ingenu company RPMA really are better suited to provide stable Internet service. However, every coin has two sides, such as in the case of the different application and not all iot sensor requires downlink capacity.
In addition, Hilton said also affect the enterprise decision-making, the most important is often iot application access platform, platform solutions, technology integration, Internet of things network security and so on several factors. So, for some businesses, rather than choose to use which kinds of LPWAN technology, adopt what kind of Internet solutions instead of more challenges.
