Low Power Wide Area Networks: A Survey of Enabling Technologies, Applications and Interoperability Needs

Abstract

Low power wide area (LPWA) technologies are strongly recommended as the underlying networks for Internet of things (IoT) applications. They offer attractive features, including wide-range coverage, long battery life and low data rates. This paper reviews the current trends in this technology, with an emphasis on the services it provides and the challenges it faces. The industrial paradigms for LPWA implementation are presented. Compared with other work in the field, this survey focuses on the need for integration among different LPWA technologies and recommends the appropriate LPWA solutions for a wide range of IoT application and service use-cases. Opportunities created by these technologies in the market are also analyzed. The latest research efforts to investigate and improve the operation of LPWA networks are also compared and classified to enable researchers to quickly get up to speed on the current status of this technology. Finally, challenges facing LPWA are identified and directions for future research are recommended.