Abstract:
The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding rapidly, with many
applications requiring low-power, and long-range connectivity.
One of the popular technologies for the IoT is Low-Power
Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN), specifically LoRa, which
promises to provide connectivity to remote and rural areas.
However, the performance of LoRa in such areas remains
poorly understood. In this study, the connectivity and range
evaluation of LoRa networks were performed in a rural setting.
The objective was to understand the coverage, reliability, and
connectivity of LoRa in real-world conditions and compare the
results with the advertised performance of this technology. The
findings of this study provided valuable insights into the
suitability of LoRa for IoT applications in rural areas and guide
to design decisions for IoT networks. The experimental setup
involved battery-powered mobile stations (nodes) mounted on
top of 2.5m tall stands and transmitting data to a base station
(gateway) installed on top of a 25m high building. The wireless
channel characteristics utilized were the Signal-to-noise Ratio
(SNR) and Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) metrics,
across eight test locations. To estimate connectivity and range
of operation within the 868 MHz ISM band, the collected
findings were utilized to establish a relationship model in an
area comparable to the selected research station
