LPWAN
In Europe, major networks such as Vodafone have announced their intention to not support 3G networks across Europe beyond 2020, whilst retaining support for 2G only until 2025.
Low Power Wide Area Network is the new technology filling the gap. Primarily this is covered with LTE-Cat M1 for mobile devices and NB-IoT for stationary devices, as this it does not cover the base station handover. Both are cellular technologies based on the 3GPP specification, which is also used for LTE and sub-categories of LTE.
There are also non-cellular technologies such as LoRaWAN and Sigfox, not specified by 3GPP, but evolving in the market, nonetheless. LoRaWAN currently uses ISM Bands 868 / 915, as well as 2.4 GHz, covering areas up to 40km.
Avnet Silica offers LPWAN technology from our market leading suppliers, available as modules, including solder own, and pluggable modules with Mini-PCIe formfactor.
Our LPWAN linecard will help guide you to the right solution, and if you need to talk to one of experts about your design, you can reach them here.
| Products and features | NB-IOT | LTE CatM | LoRaWAN | LoRaWAN gateways | Sigfox | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formfactor | Chip | Module | Chip | Module | Chip | Module | Chip | Module | Chip | Module | ||
| Supplier | ||||||||||||
| Microchip | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Miromico | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Nordic Semiconductor | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
| NXP | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Quectel | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
| Renesas | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Semtech | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| STMicroelectronics | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
| u-blox | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||