Low-power IoT networks explored by IDTechEx report

A new IDTechEx Research report suggests that low-power IoT networks will have more than 10 billion devices connected to them over the next decade.

Emerging low-power wide area networks (LPWANs) use both licensed and unlicensed spectrum to connect devices to the internet.

The Low Power Wireless Networks 2017-2027 report provides comprehensive analysis of the wireless networking ecosystem covering a range of technologies, using both licensed and unlicensed spectrum to communicate. The report mentions over 120 companies working in this space from across the value chain.

Primary research in the report has been conducted based on interviews with network operators, semiconductor manufacturers, licensing companies and device manufacturers.

It also covers wireless personal area networks (WPAN), focusing on the smart home and wearables space as well as LPWAN technologies, both using unlicensed and licensed spectrum.

There is detailed analysis of the difference between each network type, as well as analysis of real-world uses and case studies. These areas are:

• Smart home: Intelligent building networks are moving past the early adopter stage into the early majority. With government regulation driving the need for connected utilities, and intelligent lighting and environmental management being used to make homes and offices more energy efficient, wireless networks play a key role in the connected building.
• Smart city: Governments around the world are investing heavily in adding connected infrastructure to their environments, primarily in street lighting and environmental monitoring solutions among other applications.
• Asset tracking: While GPS is a popular source of asset location, it has high power requirements, making it unsuitable for low-power applications. Geolocation is possible using several low-power networks and providing new methods of pallet, animal and people tracking.
• Agriculture: Technology is increasingly entering the agricultural space with new ways to monitor crops, water usage, environmental conditions and other aspects designed to ensure produce uniformity and good yields on farms and vineyards. The long range and low-power requirements of LPWAN networks make them ideal for such applications.

For more information, visit www.IDTechEx.com/low.

Image credit: ©everythingpossible/Dollar Photo Club

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook