Networking has become an inherent requirement for the development of IoT applications, and wireless connectivity technologies are no longer limited to short-range communication; they are evolving towards longer distances and broader coverage. This is where Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) comes into play. LoRa, as a wireless technology within LPWAN, has a more mature industrial chain and earlier commercialization compared to other wireless technologies such as Sigfox and NB-IoT, making LoRa solutions (end devices + gateways) an ideal technical choice for large-scale IoT deployment.
LoRa operates at the physical layer or wireless modulation level to establish long-distance communication links. Many traditional wireless systems use Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) modulation as the physical layer due to its effectiveness in achieving low power consumption. LoRa, based on linear frequency spread spectrum modulation, retains the low power characteristics similar to FSK while significantly increasing communication distance. Linear spreading has been used in military and space communications for decades, as it enables long communication ranges and robustness against interference, leading to its initial commercialization.
LoRa and LoRaWAN
The advantage of LoRa lies in its long-distance capabilities from a technical perspective. A single gateway or base station can cover an entire city or an area of hundreds of square kilometers. While distance at a given location largely depends on the environment or obstacles, LoRa and LoRaWAN offer a link budget superior to any other standardized communication technology. The link budget, usually expressed in decibels (dB), is the primary factor determining distance in a given environment.
LoRaWAN defines the communication protocol and system architecture of the network, while the LoRa physical layer enables long-distance communication links. LoRaWAN is designed from the ground up, optimized for battery life, capacity, distance, and cost for LPWAN. It provides an overview of LoRaWAN specifications for different regions and a high-level comparison of various technologies competing in the LPWAN space.
In a LoRaWAN network, nodes communicate asynchronously, sending data whenever it is ready, whether event-driven or time-scheduled. In mesh or synchronous networks like cellular systems, nodes must wake up frequently to synchronize with the network and check for messages. This synchronization consumes energy, which is a major factor reducing battery life. A recent study by GSMA compared different LPWAN technologies and found that LoRaWAN offers a 3 to 5 times advantage over other options.
