The rapid development of the Internet of Things puts forward higher requirements for wireless communication technologies

There are many kinds of wireless communication technologies in the Internet of Things, which are mainly classified into two types: short-range communication technologies such as Zigbee, WiFi, Bluetooth and Z-wave; and the other is LPWAN (low- powerWide-AreaNetwork) That is, wide area network communication technology. The rapid development of the Internet of Things puts forward higher requirements for wireless communication technologies. LPWAN, which is specially designed for low bandwidth, low power consumption, long distance and large numbers of connected Internet of Things applications, is also rapidly emerging. IoT applications need to consider many factors such as node cost, network cost, battery life, data transfer rate (throughput), latency, mobility, network coverage, and deployment type. NB-IoT and LoRa two technologies have different technical and commercial characteristics, but also the most promising two low-power WAN communication technology. Both LPWAN technologies are characterized by wide coverage, high connectivity, low speed, low cost and low power consumption, all of which are suitable for low-power Internet of Things applications and are actively expanding their own ecosystems. NB-IoT, LoRa Brief NB-IOT (NarrowBandInternetofThings, NB-IoT) is a technical standard defined by the 3GPP standardization organization and is a narrow-band radio frequency technology designed for the Internet of Things. LoRa (LongRange) Adoption and promotion of a long-range wireless transmission scheme based on spread spectrum technology. LoRa network mainly by the terminal (built-in LoRa module), gateway (or base station), Server and cloud four parts, application data can be two-way transmission. NB-IoT, LoRa uses frequency band NB-IoT uses licensed frequency band and has three deployment modes: standalone deployment, protection zone deployment and in-band deployment. The global mainstream frequency band is 800MHz and 900MHz. China Telecom will deploy NB-IoT in the 800MHz band, while China Unicom will choose 900MHz, while China Mobile may re-engineer the existing 900MHz band. LoRa uses the unlicensed ISM band, but ISM band usage varies by country. In the Chinese market, ZTE-led China LoRa Applications Alliance (CLAA) recommends 470-518MHz. The use of radio frequency measuring instruments for the 470-510MHz band. As LoRa is working in an unlicensed band, it does not need to apply for network construction. The network architecture is simple and the operating costs are also low. LoRa Alliance is promoting the standardized Lo-RaWAN protocol all over the world, which makes LoRaWAN compliant devices interoperable. NB-IoT, LORA communication distance NB-IoT communication distance: The signal coverage of a mobile network depends on the base station density and the link budget. The NB-IoT has a link budget of 164dB with a link budget of 144dB for GPRS and 142.7dB for LTE. Compared with GPRS and LTE, NB-IoT link budget has 20dB improvement, open environment signal coverage can be increased seven times. 20dB is equivalent to the signal passing through the outer wall of the building loss, NB-IoT indoor environment signal coverage is relatively better. In general, NB-IoT communication distance is 15km. LoRa communication distance: LoRa provides a link budget of up to 168dB with its proprietary patented technology. In general, the range of wireless distance in the city is 1-2 km, wireless distance in the suburbs up to 20km. NB-IoT, LoRa cost comparison LPWAN protocols, no matter how powerful, need to take into account their low cost, otherwise they are not viable solutions for the Internet of Things. LoRa has an advantage in this regard. The overall cost of a LoRaWAN module is around $ 8-10, about half that of a cellular LTE module such as NB-IoT. The more complex the NB-IoT network is, the more IP-related (in terms of licensed frequency bands) more expensive and the higher the total cost of NB-IoT. Upgrading of NB-IoT to advanced 4G / LTE base stations is more expensive than LoRa deployment via industrial or tower gateways. As the market matures, the cost of LoRa technology is expected to decline further. NB-IoT and LoRa are still in the initial stage of development and need the input and common development of all parties. When large-scale deployment becomes possible, the module costs of NB-IoT and LoRa will be further reduced. In terms of technical solutions, NB-IoT and LoRa will certainly be in parallel in a short period of time, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. It is hard to say who will overwhelm it. However, if it is affected by factors other than technical solutions such as profit model innovation , Closely integrated with the application of the industry, with the influence of the industry, then anything is possible. In the new wave of Internet of Things development market, the first project landing, only to win an antecedent opportunities. NB-IoT and LoRa not only need product innovation, but also project application innovation.

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