Addressing scalable, optimal, and secure communications over LoRa networks: Challenges and research directions

Abstract

The Internet of things (IoT) enables large-scale deployments of very low-power devices connected through wireless lossy links and able to interact with the surround-ing environment (sensing and actuation). Two main challenges are then present: make them communicate; handle their energy consumption while respecting some cost constraints. Low-power wide area networks (LPWANs) tackle these challenges by offering long-distance coverage while guaranteeing the use of a very little amount of energy for communications. Among many LPWAN technologies, long range (LoRa) networks provide a very promising but incomplete basis for satisfying the needs expressed by the applications running on low-power devices. This paper describes the LoRa technology from the architectural point of view and points out those aspects that permit its seamless integration into the IoT. As major contribu-tion, a focus on the current and future research on LoRa networks is provided by inspecting 3 facets: scalability, quality of service, and security.