What is the Best Network Type for Your Critical IoT Operations?
By Nick Koiza
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 | Comments
Several technology options exist for deploying IoT solutions focused on critical needs. These principally fall into two low-power wide area (LPWA) network classifications: licensed 4G and 5G cellular, and non-cellular LPWA.
The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has defined cellular LPWA network standards offering various IoT approaches. In the case of 4G, connectivity choices include narrownand IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M, while 5G promises New Radio IoT (NR-IoT). Commonly adopted technologies in the non-cellular category include Sigfox and LoRa. It is necessary for user organisations to assess key drivers and operational requirements before deciding on cellular or non-cellular networks.