Multi-RAT IoT - What's to Gain? An Energy-Monitoring Platform

Multiple low power wide area networks (LPWANs) have been rolled out to support the variety of IoT applications. These networks vary largely in terms of quality-of-service, throughput and energy-efficiency. To cover all LPWAN use-cases most optimally, multiple networks can be combined into a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) solution. In particular environmental monitoring in both smart city and remote landscapes. We present and share such a multi-RAT platform. To derive an accurate profile of the multi-RAT opportunities in various scenarios, in the-field network parameter are monitored. The platform collects per-packet energy-consumption, packet delivery ratio (PDR) and other parameters of LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and Sigfox. Our preliminary measurements demonstrate the validity of using a multi-RAT solution. For example, we illustrate the potential energy savings when adopting multi-RAT in various scenarios.

Automated summary

Multiple low power wide area networks (LPWANs) have been deployed to support various IoT applications, but they differ significantly in terms of quality-of-service, throughput, and energy efficiency. To achieve optimal coverage for all LPWAN use-cases, multiple networks can be combined into a multi-RAT solution. In the context of environmental monitoring in smart cities and remote landscapes, a multi-RAT platform is presented and shared, which collects and analyzes network parameters such as energy consumption and packet delivery ratio (PDR) for different LPWAN technologies. Preliminary measurements demonstrate the benefits of adopting a multi-RAT solution, including potential energy savings in various scenarios.