Enabling an inter-operator roaming capability in LoRaWAN networks

LoRaWAN is a promising enabling technology for connected things. Nowadays, it is largely used in many application areas thanks to its relevant features such as long-range, low-cost, and low power consumption. However, as with all wireless technologies, mobility remains a major concern bringing end-devices out of their home operator coverage. In this paper, we investigate the inter-operator roaming capability in mobile scenarios. We proposed a novel LoRaWAN roaming scheme to enable inter-operator roaming based on DNS resolution and end-device context migration between networks. Moreover, we extended the LoRaWAN architecture while maintaining the integrity of the existing mechanisms and with a minimum prior configuration requirements. In order to validate our solution, we designed and implemented a test-bed platform integrating our extensions to Chirpstack. An extensive experimental study under various traffic loads demonstrates that the context migration delay perfectly fits the Class A LoRaWAN requirements. We also designed and implemented a LoRaWAN roaming emulator which states on the effectiveness of our roaming solution in terms of response time required for DNS resolution and end-device context migration, as well as CPU and memory utilization.

Automated summary

LoRaWAN is a promising technology for connecting IoT devices, offering long-range communication, low cost, and low power consumption. However, mobility is still a major concern for LoRaWAN, as it can result in devices being out of coverage of their home operator. This paper proposes a novel roaming scheme for LoRaWAN based on DNS resolution and device context migration, which extends the LoRaWAN architecture while maintaining integrity of existing mechanisms and requiring minimal prior configuration. Experimental studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution in terms of context migration delay and other performance metrics.