Ultra-dense LoRaWAN: Reviews and challenges

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most cited terms within the communication research communities. Next generation wireless networks technologies are expected to have massive-connections of tens of billions of devices. Such a huge number of devices raised a number of concerns in regards to how much accessible resources are available and what are the best technologies for managing those resources, all in order to avoid shutdowns/collapses in every means. In terms of wireless networks, and in regards to energy being the backbone of IoT devices, Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) technologies are considered to be a potential solution for IoT applications. In particular, this study reviews Long-Range (LoRa) technology and advances in the literature of LoRaWAN protocol to date. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges in LoRaWAN and diverts the attention towards applying Ultra-Dense Network concept on LPWAN.