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LoRa, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and LTE-M

Low-power wide-area networks trade data rate for range and battery life. They suit small, infrequent messages from devices that sleep most of the time.

Core

Read firstBluetooth LE, Wi-Fi and 802.15.4
LoRaWAN, India's band and cellular sleep LoRaWAN is a network protocol built on LoRa radio modulation. India's licence-exempt band grew from 865–867 MHz to 865–868 MHz in December 2021, and LoRaWAN's IN865 plan covers all of it. NB-IoT and LTE-M devices sleep between transmissions using PSM or eDRX. LoRa and LoRaWAN LoRaWAN network protocol and architecture LoRa chirp spread-spectrum modulation LoRaWAN is specified by the LoRa Alliance ITU-T Recommendation Y.4480 (2021) India's licence-exempt band (MHz) Until Dec 2021: 865–867 Since Dec 2021: 865–868 865 867 868 LoRaWAN's IN865 channel plan (RP002) covers 865–868 MHz Unlicensed sub-GHz bands are shared: regional rules may cap transmit power or the share of time a device may transmit. The LoRaWAN Regional Parameters list these limits for each region. NB-IoT and LTE-M Low-power cellular 3GPP Release 13 (2016) Both let devices sleep between transmissions Send Sleep, using PSM or eDRX Send Time
LoRaWAN runs on LoRa radio and its IN865 plan covers India's 865–868 MHz band; NB-IoT and LTE-M devices sleep between transmissions using PSM or eDRX.

Key points

  1. LoRa is a chirp spread-spectrum radio modulation; LoRaWAN is the network protocol and architecture built on it, specified by the LoRa Alliance.12
  2. LoRaWAN was approved as an ITU-T international standard, Recommendation Y.4480, in 2021.3
  3. The LoRaWAN Regional Parameters (RP002) define an IN865 channel plan for India covering 865–868 MHz. India widened its licence-exempt short-range band from 865–867 MHz to 865–868 MHz in December 2021.45
  4. NB-IoT and LTE-M are low-power cellular technologies standardised by 3GPP in Release 13 (2016). Both use power-saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) to let devices sleep between transmissions.67
  5. Unlicensed sub-GHz bands are shared, so regional rules may cap transmit power or the fraction of time a device may transmit; the LoRaWAN Regional Parameters list these limits per region.4

Sources

  1. What is LoRaWAN · LoRa Alliance · Standard
  2. What is LoRa? · Semtech · Vendor page
  3. ITU-T Y.4480: Low power protocol for wide area wireless networks · ITU · Standard
  4. RP002-1.0.5 LoRaWAN Regional Parameters · LoRa Alliance · Standard
  5. Use of Low Power Equipment in the Frequency Band 865-868 MHz for Short Range Devices (Exemption from Licence) Rules, 2021 (G.S.R. 853(E), 10 Dec 2021) · Ministry of Communications (WPC Wing), Government of India · Regulation
  6. Standardization of NB-IOT completed · 3GPP · News
  7. 3GPP Standards for IoT (GSMA MIoT, Feb 2016) · 3GPP · Standard