MAC layer-based evaluation of IoT technologies: LoRa, SigFox and NB-IoT

Abstract

In this paper, we explore functionalities of MAC layer for three Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) technologies (LoRa, Sigfox and NB-IoT) dedicated for Smart Cities applications and Internet of Things (IoT). These networks are dedicated to long-range (up to dozens of kilometers) and low rate communication to ensure a good autonomy up to 10 years. The technical differences at the level of MAC layer between Sigfox and LoRa and NB-IoT are explained and evaluated. We apply our simulator to evaluate the performances of these technologies in terms of Packet Error Rate.