A variety of connectivity options underpin the Internet of Things, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs). Each type of connection has different advantages in terms of power consumption, range, and bandwidth. IoT devices often intelligently choose the best connectivity option based on their specific needs.
So, what exactly is connecting all these IoT things?
2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G are terms we all know and understand, but what about radio, Wi-Fi, NB-IoT, 0G, or LPWAN? There are various types of connectivity that underpin the Internet of Things, the latter being arguably the most widely used outside of pure cellular connectivity.
When we talk about the "Internet of Things", it is not clear what type of "internet" connection we are referring to, since many devices are now designed to intelligently choose the connection that best suits their needs based on three things:
Power Consumption How much power does a device or sensor need to operate?
Range: Do you need to connect and send data over long distances?
Bandwidth Does it transmit small or large amounts of data, such as low bandwidth and high bandwidth?
The two most commonly used connection networks are:
Cellular. Most of us are very familiar with cellular connectivity as it is used all over the world to connect our mobile phones to the internet. IoT devices also use cell towers to connect to cellular networks. Cellular connectivity is feature-rich, with good range and the ability to send large amounts of data over the network, but requires a lot of power, so it's not ideal for IoT devices that don't have immediate access to power and require long battery life to operate for long periods of time, such as in rural or agricultural areas.
LPWANLPWAN stands for Low Power Wide Area Network, a radio technology that is by far one of the most desirable connectivity networks for IoT sensors deployed in low-range areas. These devices are usually battery-powered and send very small packets over the network. This connection is ideal when using smart meters to monitor utilities such as water, gas, and electricity, as well as when agriculture and agriculture check water quality, sense soil moisture, and track livestock.