Northstream White Paper: “Massive IoT: different technologies for different needs”
- Wide Area Mesh Networks can meet the requirements for large-scale IoT
2017-06-29. Northstream has published a white paper, “Massive IoT: different technologies for different needs”, commissioned by Wirepas. The White Paper focuses on the connectivity requirements of large-scale, or massive IoT.
The white paper discusses different connectivity options and their strengths and weaknesses in regard to massive IoT. Several new technologies such as NB-IoT and Sigfox are emerging as cheaper connectivity options optimized for range and energy. One prominent candidate to adress the upcoming density challenge is 5G which is targeting to connect millions of devices per square kilometer. Another complementary connectivity option focusing on high density IoT is wide area mesh technology. Originally designed for home/factory automation, mesh technology has expanded its capabilities to cover wider areas thanks to advancements in device capabilities and network protocols.
- Massive IoT is emerging as a new focal point for IoT connectivity technologies. The technologies on the market today have different technical strengths and business focuses. There is no one size fits all solution, but they are highly complementary to each other in addressing the requirements of massive IoT. For instance, long range options like NB-IoT or LoRa can serve as backbone for large scale mesh networks, which in turn are opening up more industries and enterprises to engage in IoT, said Lei Shi, Manager at Northstream and co-author of the White Paper.
The sheer number of devices and the scope of massive IoT deployments set stringent requirements on the network coverage, battery life and cost of the device, as well as the cost of connectivity. Each of the connectivity technologies on the market today have their own technical advantages and focus, making them optimally suited for different segments of massive IoT. Rather than competing, they are highly complementary to each other.
- The development of mesh technologies, such as Wirepas Connectivity, during the recent years has taken such solutions to the next level. Now with the emergence and growth of large-scale industrial and infrastructure IoT we see that wide area mesh is an exceptionally fitting solution for them, Teppo Hemiä, Wirepas CEO summarizes.
More importantly, different technology options address different business needs for enterprises as well. Therefore, there is no one size fits all solution. The choice of connectivity technology for massive IoT requires a careful examination of the specific requirements of the use case and the business need of the enterprise, as well as a solid understanding of the relative strengths of each technology options.
The white paper can be downloaded at: http://www.wirepas.com/download/
Further information:
- Wirepas: Sebastian Linko, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, +358 (0)40 023 6607, sebastian.linko(at)wirepas.com
- Northstream: Caroline Garsbo, Marketing Manager, +46 (0)704 738005, caroline.garsbo(at)northstream.se
- Northstream: Lei Shi, Manager and co-author, +46 (0)766 187736, lei.shi(at)northstream.se
Northstream in brief
Northstream is a management consulting firm providing strategic business and technology advice to organisations in the global telecommunications industry. We help our clients through independent and objective analyses, advice, problem-solving and support that are tailor-made to our client’s unique situation, based on the right combination of innovation, industry insights and Northstream methodologies. Our long industry experience, proven approaches, ability to focus on the essentials and strong execution skills ensure effective results. Our clients frequently return to us for our advice on new challenges they face. Clients across the world include a large number of service providers leading suppliers of networks and handsets, investment banks, regulators and standardization bodies, across all geographical regions. Northstream was founded in 1998, and is fully owned and controlled by people active in the company.
Wirepas in brief
Wirepas is focused on providing the most reliable, optimized, scalable and easy to use device connectivity for its customers. Wirepas Connectivity is a de-centralized radio communications protocol that can be used in any device, with any radio chip and on any radio band. With Wirepas Connectivity there is no need for traditional repeaters because every wireless device is a smart router of the network. The connected devices form the network – easy as that. Wirepas has its headquarters in Tampere, Finland and offices in Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, the UK and the United States.
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