[HH] IoT comms using LoraWAN, NB-IoT, Sigfox, etc.

[Tom Metro]

Jerry Feldman wrote:
> When:  March 15, 2017 7PM (6:30PM for Q&A)
> Topic: BLU Quick Hits: IoT comms using LoraWAN....

Although I'm regularly hearing mentions of LoraWAN peripherals for SBCs
now, it's already starting to feel like it might be a dated solution.


In this video: https://youtu.be/6lPU4_wxc5M
I ran across mention of NB-IoT, another one of these long-range wireless
IoT protocols.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NarrowBand_IOT

It uses spare space in the LTE protocol for low-bandwidth
communications. (And is a candidate use for repurposed GSM spectrum.)

It competes with long-rang IoT radio protocols like LoRa and Sigfox.
(Other similar protocols: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LPWAN )

I don't know if there are any carriers for it in the US yet, but here
are some relevant articles on the matter:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/vodafone-s-u-s-iot-chief-forget-sigfox-and-lora-nb-iot-makes-a-significant-amount-sense
http://www.telecomtv.com/articles/iot/us-telcos-reveal-that-nb-iot-isn-t-the-only-game-in-town-13928/

Sounds like none are supporting NB-IoT, but Verizon is already providing
a different protocol piggybacked on LTE, and AT&T will soon.


It's hard to see how LoRa and Sigfox are going to catch up to the
installed infrastructure and coverage of LTE. Sigfox is attempting to
set up its own network of towers, so that's more apt to fizzle out.
LoRa, being mesh, I think likely will still offer cost advantages in
environments where you are doing a relatively dense deployment (like,
for example, the BigBelly trash cans spread around Newton). But if you
are selling a consumer product or sparsely deployed industrial product,
seems like LTE will be the easy way to go, if they can get the rates down.

 -Tom