📡 Part 4: LPWAN & Sub-GHz IoT – LoRa, Sigfox, Mioty, DASH7, and Proprietary Bands
- Eurth Engineering
- Oct 31
- 5 min read
When we think of IoT at city-scale, agriculture fields, utility grids, or industrial campuses, we need networks that can connect devices spread over kilometers while still keeping power consumption ultra-low.
This is where LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Networks) and sub-GHz technologies shine. They fill the gap between short-range protocols (BLE, ZigBee, Wi-Fi) and cellular IoT (NB-IoT, LTE-M, 5G) by offering:
Long-range coverage (1–15 km, sometimes more).
Ultra-low power (battery life 5–10+ years).
Low data rates (suited for sensor telemetry).
Low cost (both hardware and connectivity).
In this article, we’ll deep dive into the most popular LPWAN protocols – LoRaWAN, Sigfox, Mioty, DASH7 – and also explore proprietary sub-GHz solutions like 310/433/868/915 MHz radios used in cranes, remote controls, and industrial equipment.
🌍 Why LPWAN Matters
LPWAN technologies were created specifically for IoT, unlike cellular and Wi-Fi which evolved from consumer needs. Their design priorities are:
Battery efficiency → 5–10 years on AA batteries.
Scalability → millions of devices in one network.
Coverage → reach underground meters, remote farms, or dense cities.
Low cost → modules <$5, connectivity <$1/year (for some LPWAN).
The trade-off?
Data rates are tiny (bytes, not megabytes).
Latency is high (seconds).
Not suitable for video/audio.
🔑 Key LPWAN & Sub-GHz IoT Technologies
1. LoRa & LoRaWAN
LoRa (Long Range) is a proprietary modulation developed by Semtech. LoRaWAN is the open network layer protocol that standardizes how LoRa devices connect to gateways and networks.
Range: 2–15 km (urban vs rural).
Power: Very low.
Data Rate: 0.3 – 50 kbps.
Topology: Star-of-stars (devices → gateway → server).
Use Cases:
Smart agriculture (soil, water sensors).
Smart cities (parking, streetlights).
Logistics (cold chain tracking).
Environmental monitoring (air, noise, flood sensors).
Pros:
Very long range, very low power.
Private or public networks possible.
Global ecosystem (LoRa Alliance).
Cons:
Requires LoRa gateways.
Duty cycle restrictions in some regions.
Uplink-heavy (downlink limited).
Real-World Example: Smart city projects in Europe deploy LoRaWAN for streetlight control, air quality monitoring, and waste management.
2. Sigfox
Sigfox is a proprietary LPWAN operated by Sigfox operators worldwide. Unlike LoRa, it is fully managed, and devices connect to Sigfox base stations.
Range: 3–10 km (urban), 30–50 km (rural).
Power: Very low.
Data Rate: 100 bps (yes, bits not kbps).
Messages: 140 uplink, 4 downlink per day.
Use Cases:
Logistics tracking (parcel, pallets).
Asset monitoring.
Agriculture.
Low-cost, low-traffic IoT.
Pros:
Extremely low power.
Low device/module cost.
Global roaming (no SIMs).
Cons:
Very low throughput.
Operator-dependent (can’t deploy private Sigfox).
Limited downlink capacity.
Real-World Example: DHL has piloted Sigfox trackers for global parcel visibility at ultra-low cost.
3. Mioty
Mioty is an ETSI standard LPWAN designed as a next-gen alternative to Sigfox/LoRa, with better scalability.
Range: 5–15 km.
Power: Very low.
Data Rate: 100 bps – 50 kbps.
Special Feature: Telegram Splitting – splits packets into sub-packets for resilience.
Use Cases:
Large-scale industrial IoT.
Smart grids, utilities.
Condition monitoring in factories.
Smart cities with thousands of nodes.
Pros:
High device density (up to 1 million devices per base station).
Strong interference resilience.
Standardized by ETSI.
Cons:
New ecosystem (fewer vendors than LoRa).
Requires Mioty gateways.
Real-World Example: Mioty is being adopted in European smart city pilots to scale sensor deployments into millions.
4. DASH7 Alliance Protocol
DASH7 is a sub-GHz protocol optimized for two-way communication in logistics and supply chain.
Range: 1–2 km.
Power: Very low.
Data Rate: ~100 kbps.
Topology: Star, mesh, or P2P.
Use Cases:
Asset tracking in warehouses.
Smart metering.
Logistics and supply chain.
Pros:
Higher throughput than LoRa/Sigfox.
Open standard.
Supports wake-on-radio (energy-efficient).
Cons:
Smaller ecosystem than LoRa.
Shorter range than LoRa/Sigfox.
Real-World Example:DASH7 is used in large warehouses for pallet tracking with low-latency communication.
5. Proprietary Sub-GHz ISM Radios (310/315/433/868/915 MHz)
Before LPWAN became mainstream, many industries used simple sub-GHz radios for remote control. They still dominate niches like crane control and garage door openers.
Range: 100 m – 2 km (depending on power).
Power: Low.
Data Rate: Varies (10 kbps – 100 kbps).
Topology: Usually point-to-point.
Use Cases:
Cranes, construction equipment.
Remote gate/garage controls.
Industrial actuators.
Simple telemetry.
Pros:
Cheap and reliable for niche use cases.
Works in harsh industrial environments.
Cons:
Not standardized for IoT data models.
Limited scalability.
Security often weaker.
Real-World Example: Construction sites still rely heavily on 310 MHz/433 MHz radio remote controls for crane operations.
📊 Comparison Table
Technology | Range | Power | Data Rate | Best Use Cases |
LoRaWAN | 2–15 km | Very Low | 0.3–50 kbps | Smart cities, agriculture, logistics |
Sigfox | 3–50 km | Very Low | 100 bps | Parcel tracking, low-traffic IoT |
Mioty | 5–15 km | Very Low | 100 bps – 50 kbps | Industrial IoT, utilities |
DASH7 | 1–2 km | Very Low | 100 kbps | Logistics, warehouses |
Proprietary ISM | 100 m–2 km | Low | 10–100 kbps | Cranes, gates, industrial remote controls |
⚖️ Business Cases
Smart Agriculture (LoRa vs NB-IoT):Farmers deploy LoRa sensors in rural fields → private network, long range, ultra-low cost. NB-IoT works where telecom coverage exists, but recurring SIM costs make LoRa more attractive for farms.
Global Logistics (Sigfox vs LoRa):Sigfox trackers offer seamless global roaming (no roaming agreements needed), ideal for DHL/FedEx. LoRa is better for private campus-level tracking.
Utilities (Mioty vs LoRa):Mioty is designed for massive scalability – millions of smart meters in dense urban deployments. LoRa works better in mixed private/public setups.
Warehousing (DASH7 vs BLE):DASH7 offers long range and wake-on-radio, making it better for pallet-level tracking than BLE beacons which need constant scanning.
Construction (310/433 MHz vs LoRa):Crane controllers use proprietary 310 MHz radios for instant, reliable control. LoRa is unsuitable due to high latency and low throughput.
🚀 Future Outlook
LoRaWAN will remain strong in agriculture, smart cities, and private industrial IoT.
Sigfox is repositioning as part of UnaBiz – may evolve into a hybrid model.
Mioty is gaining momentum in Europe as the “industrial LPWAN of the future.”
Hybrid LPWAN devices (LoRa + NB-IoT, Sigfox + LTE-M) will offer best-of-both-worlds.
Proprietary ISM radios will persist in niche industrial control where latency & reliability trump standardization.
🏁 Conclusion
LPWAN and sub-GHz technologies are often misunderstood as “low-speed” – but they are the workhorses of IoT. They don’t stream video or audio, but they quietly power millions of meters, trackers, and sensors across cities and industries.
Choosing the right LPWAN depends on your scale, geography, and business model:
LoRaWAN if you want a private or hybrid network with flexibility.
Sigfox if you need global coverage at ultra-low cost.
Mioty if you want industrial-scale resilience with ETSI-standard support.
DASH7 if you need low-latency logistics and supply chain tracking.
Proprietary sub-GHz if you need rugged control in cranes, gates, or legacy equipment.
In the end, LPWAN is not about speed – it’s about reach, battery life, and scale. And that’s what makes it indispensable in IoT.
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