Multi-RAT for IoT: The Potential in Combining LoRaWAN and NB-IoT

The broad range of requirements of IoT applications has led to the development of several dedicated communication technologies, each tailored to meet a specific feature set. A solution combining different wireless technologies in one device can overcome the disadvantages of any individual technology. The design of such multi-RAT solutions based on the diverse characteristics of the technologies offers interesting opportunities. We have assessed both the potential gains and the overhead brought by a multi-RAT solution. To that end, we have evaluated key IoT node requirements in function of payload size and link quality: energy efficiency, coverage, payload size, latency performance, QoS, and cost efficiency. Our assessment and experimental validation of these features show the merits of a multi-RAT solution. Notably, energy consumption in use cases with only sporadic large payload requirements can be improved by a factor of at least 4 with respect to single-mode technologies. Moreover, latency-critical messages can get delivered on time, and coverage can be extended elegantly where needed.

Automated summary

Combining different wireless technologies in one device can overcome individual technology disadvantages and offer various benefits, such as improved energy efficiency, latency, and coverage range in IoT applications.