Verizon plans to roll out a low-power IoT network by the end of the year (VZ)

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Verizon will be introducing LTE CAT-M, a network application for IoT solutions, across its network by the end of 2016, according to SDX Central.

The network is primarily designed for connected healthcare devices and other low-power wearables, though it can also provide service to dashboards that require a browser, voice, or even video connectivity.

LTE CAT-M, which competes directly with ZigBee, Z-wave, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, has three primary benefits:

• Less expensive modules compared with the standard 4G LTE modules.
• Stronger coverage underground and within buildings, a major issue with hospital devices.
• Longer battery life for the IoT devices that it connects.

The network application is likely to benefit companies such as Nokia, Gemalto, or Sierra Wireless, which are developing compatible chipsets but are waiting for network operators to signal that the infrastructure is built out first. LTE CAT-M has already been tested in San Francisco by AT&T, which plans to roll out the network application for commercial uses next year.

IoT networks continue to be held back by fragmentation and limited availability. There is a wide variety of low-powered networks connecting IoT devices, but there is a lack of standardization, with competing standards offering various strengths and weaknesses.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, projects that more than 700 million devices will be connected to low-power area networks (LPWANs) by 2021, with users paying $5.9 billion in subscription costs. The unveiling of LTE CAT-M, based on existing cellular networks by the two largest LTE network operators, represents a key step in moving toward widespread LPWAN availability.

Although Wi-Fi and cellular networks can connect IoT devices to the internet, they have inherent characteristics that make them ill-suited to do so for small, low-power components like sensors, smart locks, and smart lights.

BI Intelligence expects that more than 24 billion IoT devices will be installed globally in 2020, and the vast majority of these will fall into the small, low-power category.

So networks that are better suited to connect these low-power IoT devices — notably,Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) — are being developed. These networks can connect devices over large geographic areas because of their long range, but use less battery power on the devices they connect and offer cheaper data subscriptions than traditional cellular networks. Interest in LPWANs among IoT providers and end users is growing in response to the opportunities these benefits present. For example, a municipality deploying parking sensors for a smart transportation project could lower its costs by using a LPWAN instead of a cellular network. It would also then be able to replace the batteries on the sensors far less frequently.

BI Intelligence has compiled a detailed report on LPWANs that explains the impact they will have on the growth of the IoT and the benefits of using LPWANs for IoT connections. It also forecasts the internet connections and subscription revenues associated with these networks and explains in detail the many standards for LPWANs that exist today. Finally, it lays out the current market landscape going forward as different network providers launch LPWANs.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Low Power Wide Area Networks are specifically designed for connecting low-power devices like sensors over a very long range. This makes them well suited to a wide range of IoT use cases like smart agriculture and smart cities.
• Low Power Wide Area Networks can connect these low-power devices at a cheaper cost than existing cellular networks. LPWANs have cheaper hardware costs and data subscription costs because they don’t need to provide the high data rates that cellular networks do.
• BI Intelligence estimates that the total number of IoT devices connected over LPWANs will reach 700 million by 2021. This represents remarkable growth for such a new technology that has little present adoption.
• A number of startups and new networking providers are launching LPWANs using standards that leverage unlicensed spectrum. These providers are trying to secure networking revenues from the billions of low-power IoT devices that will go online over the next few years.
• Cellular network carriers are responding to this trend by developing their own standards for LPWANs that leverage their existing infrastructure that supports their 4G networks. This means they will be competing directly with some of the new providers mentioned above.
• Different LPWAN standards are best suited for specific use cases, and business and government organizations will need to understand the benefits of the various standards to find the solution that fits their needs.

In full, the report:

• Details the broad need for low-cost, low-power internet connectivity for IoT devices that LPWANs will help meet.
• Forecasts the growth of the LPWAN market including new networking providers and traditional mobile carriers that are launching their own LPWANs.
• Examines how LPWANs will be adopted by different industries that are launching IoT projects.
• Compares the distinct characteristics and advantages of different standards for LPWANs.
• Explains how the LPWAN market will develop over the coming years in regards to different standards and competitors.
• Examines what the future of internet network connectivity for IoT devices will look like, including LPWANs and the coming of 5G mobile networks.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of LPWANs.