LPWAN technology guide: LoRaWAN vs NB-IoT vs Sigfox

Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN) are the backbone of large-scale IoT deployments. Pick the wrong one and you'll regret it for the next 10 years of operations. Here's how we evaluate the three main contenders, with concrete recommendations.

The three main contenders

The LPWAN landscape has consolidated around three main protocols:

• LoRaWAN: open standard, sub-GHz unlicensed bands, can be private or operator-deployed
• NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT): 3GPP standard, runs on licensed cellular bands, operator-only
• Sigfox: proprietary, operator-only, ultra-narrowband sub-GHz

Each has strengths and weaknesses. The right choice depends on your specific use case.

Range and coverage

LoRaWAN: 2-5 km urban, 10-15 km rural, up to 40+ km in line-of-sight. Excellent indoor penetration. Can be self-deployed (your own gateways) or use public operator networks.

NB-IoT: matches mobile coverage (best in dense urban, weaker in rural). Operator-dependent. Very good indoor penetration thanks to extra coverage gain.

Sigfox: 10-50 km depending on environment. Operator network only. Decent indoor penetration but device must be carefully placed.

Battery life

LoRaWAN: 5-10 years achievable with optimised firmware, low duty-cycle, Class A devices.

NB-IoT: 5-10 years also feasible with PSM and eDRX power saving modes. But comes with cellular protocol overhead (DRX, attach procedures) that's heavier than LoRaWAN.

Sigfox: very low power thanks to minimal protocol (140 messages max per day uplink). 10+ years feasible.

Throughput and message limits

LoRaWAN: 0.3-50 kbps depending on spreading factor. Class A devices have strict downlink windows. Reasonable for sensors but not for firmware updates.

NB-IoT: ~250 kbps downlink, ~20 kbps uplink. Best of the three for downlink. OTA firmware updates are practical.

Sigfox: 100 bits per uplink message, 8-byte downlink, 140 uplinks per day max. Suitable only for very simple sensors.

Network ownership

LoRaWAN: open standard. You can deploy your own gateways (good for industrial campuses, agriculture), or use public networks (Helium, The Things Network, operator-deployed).

NB-IoT & Sigfox: operator-only. You depend on cellular operators or Sigfox network. Roaming agreements matter for international deployments.

Our recommendations

LoRaWAN for: private deployments (campuses, factories, farms), high-volume sensors, applications where you want network ownership, regions with poor cellular coverage.

NB-IoT for: consumer-grade IoT, urban deployments, when you need decent downlink (OTA), when you want operator-managed network without sub-GHz spectrum concerns.

Sigfox for: ultra-simple sensors with infrequent uplinks, asset tracking on a budget, when you need global roaming without managing operator contracts. (Note: Sigfox has had business continuity issues recently — evaluate carefully.)