IoT and LPWAN for Local Authorities

eGuide:

IoTThe Internet of Things (IoT) concept has been around for years. It is about connecting devices and exchanging data over the internet, enabling those devices to ‘talk’ to us, applications and each other. According to ICT Express¹, by 2020, more than 50 billion devices will be connected through radio communications.

IoT makes ‘things’ run more effi ciently by enabling devices to collect real-time data that can be analysed to identify potential issues and trends and to provide the valuable insight needed for smarter decisions to improve product or service performance to be made.

It’s transforming many of the products and services we use every day. From remotely controlling security cameras in our homes to receiving real time transport updates via a mobile phone app, our world is becoming smarter and more connected than ever before.

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Why is IoT important? The recent explosion of IoT technologies means that an increasing number of practical smart city applications have been developed to enable local authorities with limited resources to tackle difficult and complex problems like sustainable waste management, mobility, regenerating local economies and reducing congestion and pollution. The potential for local councils to improve their service efficiency - in a cost effective, sustainable way - is huge.

For example, sensors on public waste bins can detect when a bin is full and send an alert to the council or contactor that it needs emptying. Combined with GPS tracking, mapping tools and real-time data from traffic management systems waste collection routes can be optimised, creating the necessary time and cost savings local authorities need.

Data from road sensors for traffic monitoring and congestion management, along with those for smart parking applications can flag up where action needs to be taken to make it easier, safer and cleaner for everyone to get into and around towns and cities. Progress data from trains and buses means interventions can be made so services can be ‘connected’ to streamline multi modal journeys, reduce delays and overcrowding. Sensors on bus stops let bus drivers know where passengers are waiting, routes can be adjusted to maintain timings so

services become more efficient. And data from noise and air quality monitoring can identify trends over time in when and where pollution levels rise so councils can act to reduce pollution levels and improve the quality of life and health outcomes for their citizens.

The opportunity for local authorities to really make a difference to the lives of those who live, work and visit their towns and cities is enormous.

Traffic Management Sensors

Waste Collection Sensors

Street Lighting Sensors

Bike Sharing

Footfall Monitoring

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Digital Timetable Displays

Tourist Attraction Smart Spot

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ConnectivityDevices and applications are connected through networks, so to achieve a greater volume of connections – and therefore richer information - IoT requires a reliable, long-range wireless communication method. Most IoT and machine to machine communication solutions require long-range links with low bandwidth and are not well covered with traditional technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or mobile networks. For example, a Wi-Fi access point in a building will generally only be able to transmit information up to approximately 50 metres - which is not far – and potentially expensive when additional gateways need to be included.

Long range, wireless communication networks include:

� • Satellite-Based Wireless Connections – although these need lots of equipment and power, making them unsuitable for many IoT applications.

� • Cellular-Based Connections – using the mobile network can mean contending with areas of low coverage or ‘dead spots’; and recurring costs can soon mount up.

� • Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) - specifi cally created for machine to machine (M2M) and an ideal fi t for IoT network communication.

LPWAN in close up A Low Power Wide Area Network, or LPWAN is a type of radio technology used for wireless data communication in a range of IoT applications.

As the IoT market rapidly grows, LPWAN has become a popular low-cost, long-range radio communication technology proven to work well with emerging sensor applications. This is because it can connect lots of devices across a large area, whilst operating at a lower cost and higher effi ciency than mobile or Wi-Fi networks.

LPWAN is ideal for connecting devices that need to send small amounts of data, intermittently over a long range, such as from a parking sensor that will only transmit information about a parking bay when the spot is in use or not available. Because LPWAN is designed for devices that transmit small amounts of data infrequently, information can be transmitted with minimal drain on the battery life and can function at a low cost. As it requires minimal access points (base stations or gateways) it’s inexpensive, able to cover lots of ground and offers a far more cost effective way to provide complete network coverage of rural areas.

LPWAN and Smart CitiesThe success of a smart city is dependent on its technology infrastructure – and LPWAN is the ideal choice to support many smart city strategies. Smart devices and sensors require a robust infrastructure that is reliable and scalable. And with a low deployment cost- LPWAN fi ts the bill. As part of a combination of complementary networks including 4G and 5G, LPWAN can interconnect devices across a wide area, including those that might not be supported by existing mobile network technologies.

In the last few years, LPWAN has become a game changer because, unlike traditional networks like Wi-Fi, it provides a fast and cost-effective way to get smart city projects up and running.

The future of LPWANLPWAN is becoming a signifi cant part of the global smart city movement and technology providers are developing a growing number of applications that are compatible with LPWAN, in order to meet market demand now.

For local authorities looking to future proof their network, LPWAN is a flexible and compatible solution that can grow and support future innovations and emerging smart city technologies.

smart environmentsmart tourism smart social care

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CountiNetSupporting the roll out of affordable smart city technologies across the UK, Giosprite has designed CountiNet - a free to use LPWAN specifi cally for local authorities. With end to end Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), all local authority data is completely secure.

With very low power consumption, CountiNet is the ideal cornerstone for town, city, district and county councils to start testing and building their smart city applications on.

smart city network

Giosprite Smart Technology CentreStowe Court, Stowe Street

Lichfi eld, Staffordshire WS13 6AQ

Tel: 01543 227700info@giosprite.comwww.giosprite.com

Contact us todayIf you would like to fi nd out how CountiNet can help you quickly and

easily turn your smart city concepts into successful, affordable realities, call us on 01543 22 77 00 or email enquiries@giosprite.com