Low power WAN could replace mobile networks for IoT
Beecham research has predicted the emergence of Low-power wide area networks (LPWANs) could shake up the current dominance of mobile networks in the M2M communications market, with analysts forecasting LPWANs would host 345m connections by 2020, or a quarter of all IoT connections. Developments in wireless technology mean that LPWANs, which rely on high-frequency parts of the spectrum reservered for industrial, scientific and medical use can now be used over much greater distances, up to 50km in rural areas, and 5-10km in urban zones. Another potential spectrum target for LPWANs is the space freed up by the demise of analogue television, so called "white-space". 

Low-power wide area networks (LPWANs) will challenge the traditional mobile network standard for machine-to-machine (M2M) and internet of things (IoT) connectivity in the next five years, as the limitations of cellular networks begin to be exposed, according to a report from IoT and wearables specialists Beecham Research.

In the analyst house’s latest report – Low power wide area networks for IoT applications market report and forecast – Beecham forecast that LPWANs would provide just over a quarter of the total IoT connectivity market, with 345 million connections by 2020 – ending the near-monopoly held by mobile network owners.

With lower power requirements, longer range and lower cost than a mobile network, LPWANs are thought to enable a much wider range of M2M and IoT applications, which are currently constrained by budgets and distance from a power source.

David Parker, senior analyst at Beecham, compiled and wrote the report. He said LPWANs represented “the most dynamic and potentially game changing” development in the IoT to date.



“The lower speeds of LPWANs are the trade-off for longer range, offering networks optimised for machine connectivity with much lower deployment costs than traditional cellular networks,” said Parker.

“LPWANs will both compete and collaborate with cellular and other network technologies to stimulate market growth with more connectivity options for users."

The report investigated the increasing number of LPWAN technologies now available, assessing the likes of Sigfox, a France-based low power wireless developer, and member companies of the LoRa Alliance, an organisation dedicated to standardising LPWANs.

Most of the LPWAN systems currently on the market rely on the industrial, scientific and medical bands used for other short-range technologies such as ZigBee. But recent development work now means LPWANs can be established over these bands over much longer distances, potentially as far as 50km – big enough for the largest farms – in rural areas, and five to 10km in urban areas.

LPWANs can exploit TV white space spectrum – currently being investigated for a number of IoT applications in the UK – gaps in the VHF and UHF spectrum, which can offer connectivity over distances of 10km, and has superior in-building penetration compared with mobile networks.



“New entrants working in the ISM and TVWS bands are promoting overall market growth and providing a spur to action within the GSMA world,” said Parker.

“Developing standards for the cellular operating community is a slower process, but the emergence of LTE-M and Narrowband IoT (NB-IOT) will allow cellular operators to compete with these new entrants on a level playing field of range, battery life and costs.”