IoT connectivity is a set of technologies and standards that enable communication between smart devices within the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies involve both wireless and wired communications, including short-range networks (e.g. Bluetooth, Zigbee), long-range networks (e.g. LoRa, NB-IoT), and cellular-based communications (e.g. 4G, 5G). Choosing the right connectivity technology depends on the requirements of the IoT application in terms of coverage, bandwidth, energy consumption, and deployment costs. With diverse communication options, IoT devices can operate in a variety of environments, such as smart cities, industry, agriculture, and logistics.
IoT Connectivity
Type of technology
Description of the technology
Basic elements
- Communication modules: Devices that provide network connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, NB-IoT).
- Communication protocol: A set of policies and rules that define how data is exchanged between devices (MQTT, CoAP, HTTP).
- IoT gateways: Intermediary devices that enable communication between different protocols and networks.
- Web servers: Infrastructure to manage and monitor communications in IoT networks.
- Network management systems: Software to manage the configuration, security, and performance of IoT devices.
Industry usage
- Smart cities: Traffic management systems and environmental monitoring.
- Logistics: Supply chain monitoring and shipment tracking.
- Health care: Remote patient monitoring and medical equipment management.
- Industry: Monitoring machines and managing automated production processes.
- Energy: Remote management of power grids and monitoring of critical infrastructure.
Importance for the economy
IoT connectivity technologies enable the development of cutting-edge solutions in sectors such as industry, agriculture, transportation, health care, and smart cities. Connectivity provides the ability to monitor and manage complex systems, resulting in increased operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved quality of life for users. In the industrial sector, IoT connectivity makes it possible to automatically monitor the status of machines, predict failures, and manage resources in real time. In agriculture, it enables remote management of irrigation and monitoring of weather conditions. In smart cities, IoT connectivity supports traffic management systems, energy optimisation, and security monitoring.
Related technologies
Artificial Intelligence
Analysing data from IoT devices to predict behaviour and optimise system performance.
Mechanism of action
- IoT connectivity is based on the integration of communication modules into end devices that collect and transmit data to central servers or other network nodes. IoT devices can communicate over local (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), regional (e.g. LoRaWAN), or global (e.g. LTE, 5G) networks, depending on coverage and application requirements. Communication modules are responsible for encoding, transmitting, and decoding signals as well as for optimising energy consumption. IoT gateways can combine different communication technologies and transform protocols to ensure seamless data exchange between devices with different specifications. Depending on the needs, IoT connectivity can be optimised for low energy consumption, high bandwidth, or fast real-time transmission.
Advantages
- Wide communication range: Ability to deploy networks over large areas.
- Low energy consumption: Technologies optimised for low power consumption.
- Scalability: Ability to integrate thousands of devices into a single network.
- Flexibility: Support for multiple communication protocols and standards.
- Cybersecurity: Support for advanced data security methods.
Disadvantages
- Data security: Risk of data interception during transmission.
- Compatibility issues: Lack of uniform standards for various IoT devices.
- Complexity of configuration: The need for advanced knowledge when configuring extensive networks.
- Infrastructure costs: High construction and maintenance costs of long-range networks.
- Communication interference: Risk of signal interference in environments with a large number of devices.
Implementation of the technology
Required resources
- Communication modules: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, and LTE modules.
- Network infrastructure: IoT gateways, routers, and servers.
- Network management software: Tools for monitoring, configuring, and securing devices.
- Telecommunications specialists: Experts to design and manage communication networks.
- Power supply: Energy sources with low power consumption (batteries, photovoltaic cells).
Required competences
- Telecommunications: Knowledge of communication protocols and technologies (Zigbee, LoRa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth).
- Network engineering: Configuration and management of IoT networks in diverse environments.
- Transmission security: Implementation of encryption and communication authorisation methods.
- Low-level programming: Ability to develop software to support communication protocols.
- Network diagnostics: Analysis and troubleshooting of IoT connectivity issues.
Environmental aspects
- Energy consumption: Optimisation of energy consumption to minimise environmental impact.
- Waste generated: Problems with recycling miniature communication modules.
- Raw material consumption: High demand for semiconductor materials.
- Recycling: Difficulties in recovering valuable raw materials from communication modules.
- Emissions of pollutants: Emissions from the production of advanced communications systems.
Legal conditions
- Data security: Regulations for the protection of data sent by IoT devices (e.g. GDPR).
- Communication standards: Regulations for frequency and data transmission standards (e.g. FCC and ETSI).
- Device certification: Standards for compliance with regulations regarding electromagnetic compatibility and safety of use.
- Regulations for long-range networks: Regulations for the deployment of LoRa, NB-IoT, and LTE-M technologies.
- Export regulations: Regulations for the export of communication technologies with strategic applications.