LoRaWAN or cellular? Why not both?

There's a common line of thinking in the tech world — a "versus" mentality.

With every new innovation, there's a rush to declare a be-all and end-all solution that will dominate the market. We're seeing this happen in IoT connectivity, where a "winner takes all" mindset is pitting LoRaWAN against cellular. But this kind of thinking misses the bigger picture.

The ecosystem mindset for IoT

IoT's rise has led to it being seen more as an industry than what it truly is: an ecosystem. IoT is foundational technology, a building block that enables countless applications across industries. Like any good ecosystem, it thrives on diversity and collaboration.

LoRaWAN and cellular are perfect examples of technologies that can either stand alone or work together, depending on the use case.

The case for cellular

Cellular connectivity, with its global reach and mature infrastructure, is a natural fit for applications requiring seamless wide-area coverage and mobility. Think of assets that travel, like Maersk shipping containers traversing the globe.

That's where cellular excels, and it's a key reason why we at Onomondo, as a connectivity provider, have focused on this technology. It allows us to serve a worldwide market by catering to companies whose products travel or need international distribution, enabling them to track assets, monitor supply chains, and stay connected across borders. However, this doesn't make cellular connectivity superior in every scenario — it's simply the right tool for specific jobs.

But we’re more than just a cellular operator; we aim to be a comprehensive connectivity provider, adapting as needed. This flexibility is crucial as the IoT ecosystem evolves and new demands arise.

The power of LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN, on the other hand, shines in different contexts. For companies with technical capabilities and use cases where assets are stationary or localized, LoRaWAN can be an excellent choice. Consider a corporation managing multiple buildings. If they can deploy and manage their own network infrastructure, LoRaWAN could provide invaluable insights and measurements from their building assets.

LoRaWAN also has technical advantages in certain scenarios, such as extreme battery life requirements or need for deep signal penetration, though cellular technology is making progress in these areas as well.

Complementary connectivity

This might come as a surprise to some: LoRaWAN and cellular can actually work together. These technologies aren’t mutually exclusive; they can complement each other seamlessly.?

A farm might use LoRaWAN for individual sensors spread across fields or attached to livestock, while using cellular as a backhaul to transmit this aggregated data to the cloud. This hybrid approach leverages the strengths of both technologies to create a more effective overall solution.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in IoT, that much is true. Just as the cloud computing world uses different types of databases and services for various use cases, the IoT world needs a diverse ecosystem of connectivity solutions.?

Sometimes LoRaWAN will be the best fit, sometimes it will be cellular, and often, a combination of both will provide the optimal solution. This hybrid approach allows us to create robust, flexible solutions tailored to specific needs.

Shifting the conversation from competition to collaboration

When we move beyond this “versus” mentality and embrace a more nuanced perspective, we can recognize the value of different technologies working together to create efficient solutions. By focusing on solving real-world problems rather than reverting to a supposed single definitive technology, we can create more value for our customers and end-users. This means being open to a range of solutions, constantly exploring new ways to connect the unconnected, and embracing the collaborative nature of IoT.