IoT Connectivity is Not a One-Size-Fits-All

As numerous markets including energy, agriculture, transport, and logistics, turn to the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve operations and reduce costs, they are all looking to different connectivity solutions.

This brings us to the paradox of choice when it comes to connectivity. Competing Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) each offer unique benefits for gateway-to-cloud connectivity.

Solution owners might hesitate to commit to a single technology, fearing they might choose the wrong one and face a predicament if another technology becomes dominant. This is where the idea of hybrid networks comes in.

But what are hybrid networks? Why are they becoming more necessary in IoT connectivity? And what do they look like in action? Scroll down for answers to these questions and more.

What are Hybrid Networks?

Put simply, a hybrid network combines two or more different network technologies.

A hybrid network offers many advantages when it comes to a mass IoT deployment. It effectively allows end users to leverage the best network technology for their needs.

For example, a medical distribution facility might take advantage of different network technologies. First, RFID technology within the distribution warehouse to track inventory before switching to cellular network coverage during land transit while utilizing satellite networks at sea for a more reliable connection.

By combining different types of IoT connectivity technologies into a single system, end users can benefit from increased coverage, redundancy, and improved speeds. Especially in the event of poor signal or network failure, users can still reliably access data to support their applications.

Businesses can also enjoy cost savings from not having to purchase multiple pieces of hardware and enhanced security features that ensure data privacy, even over long distances.

More device manufacturers are jumping on the hybrid network trend by building different network solutions for ideal near-range and long-range communication.

IoT Connectivity in the Energy Sector

One of the first adopters of IoT connectivity was in the energy sector. In particular, smart utilities—such as electricity, water, and gas—are prevalent across Europe and the UK, where most homes and business areas already use smart meters.

When smart meters were first rolled out, utility providers had to decide how best to reliably transmit vast amounts of usage data from millions of smart meters to the cloud to produce actionable insights.

European utility providers typically incorporated Wireless Meter-Bus (wMBus) to provide short-range connectivity between smart meters and a gateway. LoRaWAN was an easy choice being relatively easy to deploy. A single gateway could communicate with thousands of end devices (i.e. smart meters).

However, LoRaWAN is not intended for continuous monitoring of "real-time" applications. It also does not provide the range or data volume that cellular-based networks like NB-IoT or 4G LTE-M can.

With three decades of proven reliability and security, backed by standards organization 3GPP, GSMA, and others, cellular IoT connectivity is a future-proofed standardized technology. It simplifies connectivity and can penetrate buildings and walls where energy meters are often found.

Design Trends with Hybrid Networks

More so, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and device manufacturers are delivering gateways that provide a combination of network options such as NB-IoT and LoRaWAN.

As this trend continues, utility providers and other end users no longer need to feel pressured into exclusively selecting one cloud connectivity solution over another.

There is an emerging understanding that a growing number of disciplines must work together to support the ever-expanding diversity and complexity of the IoT ecosystem.

Connect with a service provider that can build an ideal solution for all your current and evolving IoT connectivity needs.