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Comparing LPWAN connectivity technologies
The following table provides a short overview of the key characteristics of LPWAN technologies covered in this whitepaper. Refer to Appendix: Characteristics of LPWAN technologies for a detailed description of each mentioned technology.
Table 1 – LPWAN connectivity technologies
| Technology | LoRaWAN | NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) | LTE-M (LTE Cat M1) | Sigfox |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range and coverage | ~5 km urban ~20 km rural | ~1 km urban ~10 km rural | ~1 km urban ~10 km rural | ~10 km urban ~40 km rural |
| Support for device mobility | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Uplink latency (order of magnitude) | Seconds | 1.2–100 s | < 60 ms | Seconds |
| Data rate | 0,3 (SF12)–5,47 (SF7) kilobit/s | < 66 kilobit/s (uplink) < 26 kilobit/s (downlink) | 1 megabit/s | 0.1 kilobit/s |
| Allow private networks | Yes | No | No | No (however, customers can deploy their own gateways) |
| Battery life and power consumption | Years (when operating as a Class A device) | Years (when using eDRX and PSM features) | Years (when using eDRX and PSM features) | Years |
| Maximum payload size | 11–242 bytes, depending on regional regulations and spread factor | 1,280 bytes recommended | 1,280 bytes recommended | 12 bytes (uplink) 8 bytes (downlink) |
| Support for indoor and underground coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reachability | Depends on device class (high for Class A, low for Class C) | Depends on power saving model configuration (PSM/eDRX) | Depends on power saving model configuration (PSM/eDRX) |
High (downlink transmission allowed only during 30 seconds after uplink) |
| Licensed spectrum | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Maximum messages per day | Depends on regional regulations of duty cycle | Unlimited | Unlimited | 140 per day (uplink) 4 per day (downlink) |
