Unlike a host of early telecom technologies that had cycles of innovations which essentially built on top of their predecessor versions, the Internet of Things (IoT) introduces a completely new paradigm to communications and connectivity. This is a shift from the incremental approach that we have seen to date across all telecom innovations that have taken place in the last 100 years.
One of the most significant changes brought by IoT is that the inputs delivered onto the network now originate from a plethora of devices and machines, and much of the terabytes generated are no longer created by humans, as in the case of existing voice, messaging and data communications.
With the number of IoT devices expected to surpass the number of humans on the planet in the not so far future, the impact of data brought by IoT and the entire ecosystem behind it is expected to significantly redefine our networks.
The complexities of IoT
Number of devices
The following data from Statista (Figure 1) shows that:
- IoT devices are already vast in numbers
- This number will continue to grow, whereas non-IoT devices have more or less converged around the 10 billion mark
Figure 1: IoT device number predicted growth
The estimated number of IoT devices in 2030 is expected to range from 25 billion to 125 billion, based on respective information sources. The implication of this is straightforward - the IoT space is simply too vast and fast-growing to be sustained by a limited number of operators. A new approach is needed for deployment and maintenance, one that is both faster, more flexible, and more cost-efficient to maintain.
Device density
Non-IoT device density tends to be relatively low, with a regular household having somewhere between 2 to 5 devices per person on average.
On the other hand, IoT involves countless objects and appliances. From parking sensors and smart garbage disposal, to the automation and actuation systems in factories and farms, both industrial and household premises will soon require thousands of connected devices to conduct their daily operations. At the same time, most of these objects are stationary, and are installed closely in various locations across buildings or premises, resulting in much higher device densities.
Bandwidth
While a single IoT device might generate much less data than a regular smartphone user, this staggering number of devices and their always-on feature will see a sharp increase in terms of total bandwidth consumed in a given space. This, inevitably, will require a different model of traffic management and aggregation. The underlying network infrastructure needs to be optimized to deal with the new model and also account for any new challenges that arise from this.
The surge in the number of devices, the higher device density, and the increased bandwidth consumed across an unlimited number of end nodes, leads to one conclusion. It would be incredibly hard for a single entity to deploy and maintain such a large infrastructure. This is exacerbated by the fact that most of the IoT end devices or nodes are deployed remotely and close to end users, which has implications on site acquisitions, rental arrangements, and maintenance.
Tackling LPWAN deployment via Helium
Let’s consider Torrents, which rely on a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network that is decentralized and maintained by the users. It is, to this day, a very efficient way of distributing content and is used across various applications.
A solution very similar to Torrents has recently emerged in the IoT world. Helium, The People's Network is a new type of LPWAN global network built upon an infrastructure entirely hosted and maintained by peers. The whole ecosystem is based on the exchange of a new cryptocurrency called Helium Token (HNT).
The novelty here is the combination of two distinct factors:
- LoRaWAN is used as the communication method between the end user nodes and the community member-hosted hotspots that relay the data to the cloud. LoRaWAN is the de-facto king of IoT (considered to be the most promising and widespread technology to tackle the challenges presented), because of its astounding range, unprecedented battery efficiency, and free to use spectrum.
- Cryptocurrency is used for secure transactions. Payment for data transfer as well as rewards for hotspots owners that provide the community is done in the form of HNT. This presents a mechanism that allows for users to purchase the services of the system and also gives an incentive via rewards to the community members to maintain and expand the network.
This has turned out to be an incredibly potent and efficient method of network deployment. As of now, the Helium network spans the whole world, consisting of more than 50,000 hotspots, hosted entirely by community members. It is the largest IoT network to date and it is public.
This is truly a paradigm shift in the way a network is created and later maintained and improved. It is self-deploying and self-sustaining in the sense that no central entity has to manage it. Helium only provides the tools and incentives to the community. The members do all the work, reaping the rewards of their labour through HNT.
The next phase
The Helium network is still in its early stages. It is estimated that by the end of 2022 it will consist of more than 500,000 hotspots. Again, as with the network infrastructure itself, a new model of development, prototyping, and production will be required to support such large number of devices. Furthermore, a great deal of freedom and flexibility will be required in order to cover all use case scenarios.
Smart cities with their intelligent parking lots, home monitoring systems, trash disposal, and transportation are some of Helium’s immediate use cases. Smart agriculture too will benefit from its deployment where it will enable various functions such as automating crop monitoring, growth cycles, irrigation, gathering long-term statistics on both yields, produce health, and the state of the land itself.
All in all, Helium is set to completely redefine the LoRaWAN-enabled IoT space.
