Low Power Wide Area network (LPWA) technologies

Specialised Narrowband IoT and LTE for Machine Type Communications Services

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With many remote items of equipment and assets capable of gathering and processing large amounts of data or needing to be constantly connected, now is the time to consider Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies. Our solutions are designed for remote locations, whether they are underground, across countryside or in areas with poor coverage – we can help you to connect any number of IoT devices.

Our technologies operate on the same licensed mobile networks that we use for consumer and enterprise customers, allowing them to benefit from existing network resilience and security. This makes them ideal to connect devices that demand an extremely high quality of service because they often provide critical functions, like water pipe monitoring or smart meters.

That’s why everything changed with the introduction of Low Power, Wide Area Network (LPWA) technologies like Narrowband (NB-IoT) and LTE for Machine Type Communications (LTE-M).

Why is LPWA important?

LPWA is specifically designed for connecting devices with low bandwidth requirements, using low power, while providing wider and deeper network coverage.

The potential for LPWA technology is huge. Most devices can last ten years in the field without a battery charge, connect as far as 10km and cost only $10 each, with cell sites able to support 10,000 devices.

We are deploying LTE-M technology to complement NB-IoT to create a complete IoT connectivity portfolio that ranges from satellite through 5G, 4G, 2G to LTE-M and NB-IoT.

LPWAs are driving device connectivity

Strong coverage over large areas, even underground or deep within urban infrastructure

Great power efficiency, devices can run on batteries for 10 years or more without a charge

Massive scale, connecting potentially millions of devices in a single deployment

Low cost communications hardware, enabling data collection devices to be built for less than $10

Low bandwidth, many use cases require only a few bytes of data to be transmitted per device per day

LPWA are efficient, cost effective technologies for a wide range of IoT applications. Any devices that have low energy consumption, low data transfer demands and are geographically dispersed or remote can benefit from its application. Developments so far include:

Connected Cities

Street lighting
Smart waste
Smart transport
Road traffic monitoring
Smart parking
Infrastructure sensors

Connected living and working

Pet tracking
Fire safety
Asset tracking
Location security
Smart metering

Connected industry

Warehouse monitoring
Safety and security
Wear monitoring

Connected agriculture

Animal welfare monitoring
Crop monitoring
Animal tracking
Soil monitoring

Connected industry

Warehouse monitoring
Safety and security
Wear monitoring

Connected science

Smart laboratories
Asset tracking

Connected health

Drug delivery
Wearables for elderly

Connected retail

Intelligent stores
Smart connected cabinets
Smart shelves

Developer Kit from Pycom

Pycom is a global Internet of Things technology company with a vision to give all connected ideas an opportunity to succeed. The company has pioneered an innovative and highly scalable IoT platform - a unique suite of NB-IoT capable hardware and software products that connect developers, enterprises and consumers. Vodafone Narrowband IoT connectivity Partner since January 2019.

Click here for more information - https://pycom.io/

Developer Kit from Sodaq

SODAQ sees a world without batteries. Its mission is to provide sustainable IoT asset tracking solutions. Its visionary and skillful team has vast experience in developing IoT devices embedded with software that optimizes power performance along with renewable energy harvesting technologies including solar and kinetic and communicating over LTE-M, NB-IoT.

Click here for more information - https://sodaq.com/

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The Vodafone USB Connect LPWA

The Vodafone USB Connect LPWA is a convenient USB modem that’s ideal for many industrial IoT applications, including healthcare, smart building sensors, metering and predictive maintenance.

USB Connect LPWA can easily bring low data rate connectivity to equipment without the need to redesign hardware. Supporting NB-IoT and LTE CAT-M1, developers may easily enable connectivity on any hardware platform running Linux Kernel 2.6 and above or Windows 10.

For more information, please contact your Vodafone Business Account Manager.

Or visit our Integrated Terminals web page - https://www.vodafone.com/business/iot/iot-devices/integrated-terminals.

LPWA

Why is LPWA important?

LPWA is specifically designed for connecting devices with low bandwidth requirements, using low power, while providing wider and deeper network coverage.

The potential for LPWA technology is huge. Most devices can last ten years in the field without a battery charge, connect as far as 10km and cost only $10 each, with cell sites able to support 10,000 devices.

We are deploying LTE-M technology to complement NB-IoT to create a complete IoT connectivity portfolio that ranges from satellite through 5G, 4G, 2G to LTE-M and NB-IoT.

LPWAs are driving device connectivity

Strong coverage over large areas, even underground or deep within urban infrastructure

Great power efficiency, devices can run on batteries for 10 years or more without a charge

Massive scale, connecting potentially millions of devices in a single deployment

Low cost communications hardware, enabling data collection devices to be built for less than $10

Low bandwidth, many use cases require only a few bytes of data to be transmitted per device per day

LPWA applications

LPWA are efficient, cost effective technologies for a wide range of IoT applications. Any devices that have low energy consumption, low data transfer demands and are geographically dispersed or remote can benefit from its application. Developments so far include:

Connected Cities

Street lighting
Smart waste
Smart transport
Road traffic monitoring
Smart parking
Infrastructure sensors

Connected living and working

Pet tracking
Fire safety
Asset tracking
Location security
Smart metering

Connected industry

Warehouse monitoring
Safety and security
Wear monitoring

Connected agriculture

Animal welfare monitoring
Crop monitoring
Animal tracking
Soil monitoring

Connected industry

Warehouse monitoring
Safety and security
Wear monitoring

Connected science

Smart laboratories
Asset tracking

Connected health

Drug delivery
Wearables for elderly

Connected retail

Intelligent stores
Smart connected cabinets
Smart shelves

DevKits

Developer Kit from Pycom

Pycom is a global Internet of Things technology company with a vision to give all connected ideas an opportunity to succeed. The company has pioneered an innovative and highly scalable IoT platform - a unique suite of NB-IoT capable hardware and software products that connect developers, enterprises and consumers. Vodafone Narrowband IoT connectivity Partner since January 2019.

Click here for more information - https://pycom.io/

Developer Kit from Sodaq

SODAQ sees a world without batteries. Its mission is to provide sustainable IoT asset tracking solutions. Its visionary and skillful team has vast experience in developing IoT devices embedded with software that optimizes power performance along with renewable energy harvesting technologies including solar and kinetic and communicating over LTE-M, NB-IoT.

Click here for more information - https://sodaq.com/

Image- Pen drive2

The Vodafone USB Connect LPWA

The Vodafone USB Connect LPWA is a convenient USB modem that’s ideal for many industrial IoT applications, including healthcare, smart building sensors, metering and predictive maintenance.

USB Connect LPWA can easily bring low data rate connectivity to equipment without the need to redesign hardware. Supporting NB-IoT and LTE CAT-M1, developers may easily enable connectivity on any hardware platform running Linux Kernel 2.6 and above or Windows 10.

For more information, please contact your Vodafone Business Account Manager.

Or visit our Integrated Terminals web page - https://www.vodafone.com/business/iot/iot-devices/integrated-terminals.

What's the difference between NB-IoT and LTE-M?

Both NB-IoT and LTE-M provide long distance communication, with LTE-M trading some battery life and distance for additional communication capabilities such as voice.

NB-IoT	LTE-M
Extreme reach (remote, underground)	Replacement technology for 2G and 3G services
Great for very remote sensors	Interactive communications with data and voice
Non real-time monitoring	Further reach than traditional mobile networks
Suitable for utility meters	Suitable for remote supervisory equipment

LPWA services availablity

Narrowband-IoT from Vodafone Business

push the boundaries of connectivity

Vodafone Business is at the forefront of next generation Internet of Things technology with Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT).

Our service provides long range communication and allows up to 10 years battery life and helps businesses connect a wide range of assets. Watch this video to learn more about NB-IoT.

Why LTE-M?

Like NB-IoT, LTE-M is an ‘industrial grade’ LPWA solution, it runs on licenced spectrum which guarantees quality of service.

This cellular technology supports two way communications such as voice, and is designed specifically for LPWA applications.

LTE-M has a higher throughput and enhanced performance compared to NB-IoT. LTE-M also has a low device cost, and is compatibile with existing cellular network infrastructure, which has the same level of security as LTE.

See how we've helped our customers with LPWA solutions

Winery of the future

The winery of the future - Emilio Moro Winery

Using our NB-IoT connectivity, satellite imagery and sensors, Bodegas Emilio Moro can manage their vineyard precisely, maximising their wine quality.

Using IoT to identify and locate water leaks with SES Water

Vodafone has announced a 10-year deal with SES Water to provide NB-IoT as part of an intelligent water distribution network project. The project will revolutionise how SES Water detects and prevents leaks, helping the business to cut leakage by 15% over the next five years and pave the way for more than halving it by 2045.

Techem increases energy efficiency

With Narrowband-IoT from Vodafone, Techem can track energy consumption reliably and cost-effectively.

Read our in depth guide to LPWA technologies

Narrowband IoT and LTE Machine Type Communications: pushing the boundaries of IoT

A detailed overview of NB-IoT and LTE-M, the communications technologies that underpin industrial-grade Internet of Things deployments.

Read our white paper

Vodafone Business offers a range of consultancy services to assist you with your LPWA deployment

NB-IoT Proposition Explorer

NB-IoT Proposition In-Depth

NB-IoT Proposition Tailored

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NB-IoT Proposition Tailored API

NB-IoT Proposition Additional Design Considerations

LPWA OpenLabs

We have a number of LPWA OpenLabs available for customers, partners and vendors to test their applications, devices and chip sets in a secure, live environment.

Main OpenLab sites:

UK (Newbury)
Germany (Dusseldorf)
Italy (Milan)
South Africa (Vodacom, Midrand)
USA (Redwood City, CA)

Our OpenLabs are innovative places that provide an environment for application developers and device, module and chip manufacturers to test their products. This accelerates their time to market for NB-IoT and LTE-M devices and services. It also allows device manufacturers to verify that their products meet the exceptional sensitivity and battery life performance requirements of NB-IoT and LTE-M devices.

Services offered at our Open Labs include:

NB-IoT and LTE-M device tests for network integration
E2E testing from device to network, and from network to the internet and user applications
Power consumption testing
Extended coverage testing (ECL0 / ECL1 / ECL2)
NB-IoT GCF Certification

Request an OpenLab visit

Our OpenLabs provide simulated real-time environments for application developers and also device, module and chip manufacturers to test their products.

Request a visit