Here is a interesting comparison sheet that can help one choose the right technology based on the IoT system use case:
# | Technology | Frequency | Data Rate | Range | Power Usage | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2G/3G | Cellular Bands | 10 Mbps | Several Miles | 3-High | 3-High |
2 | Bluetooth/BLE | 2.4 GHz | 1, 2, 3 Mbps | ~ 300 feet | 1-Low | 1-Low |
3 | 802.15.4 | Sub-GHz, 2.4 GHz | 40 – 250 Kbps | > 100 square miles | 1-Low | 1-Low |
4 | LoRa | Sub-GHz | < 50 Kbps | 1-2 miles | 1-Low | 2-Medium |
5 | LTE Cat 0/1 | Cellular Bands | 1-10 Mbps | Several Miles | 2-Medium | 3-High |
6 | NB-IoT | Cellular Bands | 0.1-1 Mbps | Several Miles | 2-Medium | 3-High |
7 | Sigfox | Sub-GHz | < 1 Kbps | Several Miles | 1-Low | 2-Medium |
8 | Weightless | Sub-GHz | 0.1-24 Mbps | Several Miles | 1-Low | 1-Low |
9 | Wi-Fi | Sub-GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz | 0.1-54 Mbps | < 300 feet | 2-Medium | 1-Low |
10 | WirelessHART | 2.4 GHz | 250 Kbps | ~ 300 feet | 2-Medium | 2-Medium |
11 | ZigBee | 2.4 GHz | 250 Kbps | ~ 300 feet | 1-Low | 2-Medium |
12 | Z-Wave | Sub-GHz | 40 Kbps | ~ 100 feet | 1-Low | 2-Medium |