Most of the current machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity is working over the 2G GPRS standard, requiring 2G EDGE coverage and SIM cards. As operators phase out some 2G networks, in part to reduce cost, new standards have emerged in the past five years: Zigbee, LoRa, LTE-M, Wi-Fi 802.11ah (HaLow) and 802.11af (White-Fi).
Depending on the application, security needs and cost factors, some are better than others.
Here are the most popular standards, their features and advantages:
Zigbee: proprietary, short-range, inexpensive and basically secure
The Zigbee trademark is owned by the Zigbee Alliance, a group of companies that maintain and publish the Zigbee standard. The alliance publishes application profiles that enable the creation of interoperable products using the specification.
According to their website, hundreds of millions of devices using Zigbee technology are deployed worldwide, with over 2,200 products certified. Zigbee was conceived in 1998, standardized in 2003 and revised in 2006. Its name comes from the waggle dance of the honey bee.
Zigbee is a very popular option for IoT device manufacturers. It provides most of the basic features (connectivity, range, security) that they look for and, as an open-industry standard, it allows interoperability with any Zigbee-certified device.
The biggest complaint from OEMs is the cost of joining the alliance, the certification and lack of open GPL license. OEMs must become members of the alliance to use its technology.
Zigbee is a low-power, low-data-rate, close-proximity ad hoc wireless network, supporting mesh network topology. It is especially suited for home and office applications, where devices are located in a small area. It only works in distances from 10 to 100 meters line-of-sight. It uses the IEEE 802.15 WPAN specification, providing data rates of 250 kbps, 40 kbps and 20 kbps.
The low data rates and proximity allow devices using smaller batteries to last for years rather than weeks. And with Zigbee Pro’s Green Power feature, it is possible to operate battery-less devices, suc