Benefits of LoRaWAN Deployment at Scale - Insights from Volvo's Experience

Julien Bertolini, IoT expert, Volvo Group

Julien Bertolini is a seasoned professional in the IoT industry, having been immersed in the field since its nascent stage in 2008. Passionate about innovation, particularly within IoT, Julien brings robust technical expertise in solution architecture design, full-stack development, network engineering, and electronics. Guided by the mantra "Think big, start small," his approach is visionary yet pragmatic, focusing on deeply understanding customer needs to devise tailored solutions. Julien is an avid IoT evangelist, actively promoting IoT knowledge and applications within the Volvo IoT community and at various external IoT events.

Through this article, Julien Bertolini, IoT expert at Volvo Group, explores the increasing relevance of Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology in the manufacturing industry as it embraces Industry 4.0. Highlighting LPWAN's advantages, such as low energy consumption, long battery life, and cost-effectiveness, Bertolini outlines the strategic reasons behind Volvo Group’s choice of LoRaWAN over other technologies like SigFox, LTE-M, and NB-IoT. He discusses the practical deployment options available, including public and private networks, and using LoRa solution providers to enhance operational efficiency across Volvo's global factories.

As manufacturing companies like Volvo embrace Industry 4.0, the demand for wireless sensors is rising. Wireless sensors can be quickly deployed during production time, which is more cost-effective than a factory's complex operation of wiring cables.

This raises the question: why do we need another communication technology when we already use WiFi, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), and cellular technologies? The answer is the need for a technology supporting autonomous sensors with long battery life. This is where LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) comes into play. LPWAN features low energy consumption, low bandwidth (transmitting few bytes per minute), and long-range (requiring few antennas to cover a large area). The battery life of the sensor is crucial, especially for large deployments.

Numerous business benefits exist from having an LPWAN network. It allows for the quick deployment of new sensors, such as temperature, pressure, and vibration sensors, as well as real-time asset-tracking devices. LPWAN networks contribute to increased industry efficiency and flexibility at a limited cost. Data consumers could be the production (operators and managers), the maintenance team, or the quality engineers.

“We have gained valuable experience with this technology and firmly believe it brings value to the business at a reasonable cost. Despite 5G being a competitor to LPWAN, LoRaWAN still has a bright future for use cases where low power and low costs are paramount.”

As an IoT expert at Volvo, I have evaluated several LPWAN technologies, including SigFox, LoRa, LTE-M, and NB-IoT. Five years ago, Volvo Group chose LoRaWAN for four main reasons: low power consumption, high security, low costs, and long-term stability. We can see now that it was a good choice because LoRaWAN deployments are accelerating, and we see more and more devices on the market. Successful deployment at scale hinges on bringing the network to factories worldwide. There are three options available:

- Utilizing the public LoRa network: While a potential option for the future, the radio coverage and reliability are currently inadequate. However, some companies are making considerable investments to deploy a solid European network that should work as a unique network (seamless roaming). We keep our ears open! –

Building a private LoRa network: This involves creating a network by connecting gateways to your network. While it requires effort to secure and operate, it is cost-effective, flexible, highly secure, and reliable. It is the ideal choice when data transit through the internet is not desired. I also recommend this solution to build knowledge around this technology!

- Working with a LoRa solution provider: This is the most convenient option, leveraging the technology expertise of a LoRa network vendor who can install and operate the gateways and provide device management tools. Another benefit is the ability to utilize gateways with a 4G connection, eliminating the need to connect any new device to your private network. It is fast, and the risk is low. This option is available in the "Volvo catalog," making it fast and easy to deploy a LoRa network in any Volvo factory worldwide.

We have gained valuable experience with this technology and firmly believe it brings value to the business at a reasonable cost. Despite 5G being a competitor to LPWAN, LoRaWAN still has a bright future for use cases where low power and low costs are paramount.