Wireless wide area networks are an important component to Internet of Things implementations.

WWAN options run the gamut from proprietary solutions that come from companies and groups like Ingenu and Sigfox to standardized ones based on LTE (News - Alert) technology. As discussed in today’s webinar sponsored by Altair Semiconductor, LTE variants have a variety of benefits over low-power wide area network solutions like those from the LoRa group and from Sigfox.

While LTE solutions are designed operate in the licensed LTE/GSM bands, Sigfox and LoRa use unlicensed spectrum. The LTE variants also come out on top in terms of bandwidth, coverage, and endpoint battery life, as noted by Eran Eshed, co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development at Altair Semiconductor (News - Alert). LTE is also more affordable when all costs are considered than are LoRa or Sigfox, Eshed indicated.

Standards-based technologies have inherent advantages over proprietary ones, namely in cost, interoperability, roadmap, scale, and supply, he added. Eshed went on to point out that comparing the costs of chipsets and modules misses the point when it comes to affordability. That’s because cost is not solely based on those components but rather should be looked at in terms of total cost of ownership. When it comes to TCO, he said, LTE-M has a clear advantage over all the alternatives.

“Proprietary LPWA technologies have sporadic market opportunity windows,” Eshed said. “However, LTE-M’s advantages are very significant and considering network/device timing and robust roadmap are expected to capture the lion’s share of future IoT WWAN connections.”

So while we may see LPWA deployed in pockets here and there for specific use cases, like to provide connectivity for a smart lighting installation, such networks are not positioned for nationwide deployment in the U.S., or elsewhere such as covering the U.K. or France, said Eshed