Paving a Path for Future IoT Growth With Blended Connectivity

Reliable connectivity is a crucial factor in IoT’s success. However, today’s tools and solutions mostly revolve around a single wireless protocol. In this article, Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and co-founder, Soracom, discusses why next-generation blended connectivity is important and how it can advance IoT.

All IoT projects have one thing in common: They require reliable connectivity that delivers the right balance of availability, security, capability, and control. Connectivity options vary widely, and selecting the right one often represents the first major hurdle between concept and execution. 

Connectivity providers have started to roll out a new generation of tools that dramatically accelerate speed to market. From application programming interfaces (APIs) that let business teams control every connection in their IoT network to secure remote device access to built-in integration with hyperscale platforms like AWS, today’s IoT connectivity packs considerably more power than it did even a few years ago. However, taking advantage of these capabilities has generally required businesses to architect their solutions around a single wireless protocol, whether cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, LPWAN, or satellite. 

Even in cases where businesses have been willing to accept the added cost and complexity of incorporating multiple connectivity modules into their hardware, managing those different connectivity options has also required mastering parallel management platforms to maintain control of these first-generation “blended networks.”

The engineering challenge of maintaining network oversight while managing multiple platforms with different capabilities can leave projects slowed, stalled, or even abandoned. For the IoT category, this has directly limited the types of solutions that can reach the market today. Even if a cellular connectivity provider offers valuable added services, those services will be inaccessible if devices need to be connected via Wi-Fi and satellite as well. 

But what would happen if the teams building tomorrow’s connected experiences could access the same tools and control for every connection using any combination of internet connectivity? How much faster would they move if the features that accelerate time to market are not only available for one connectivity option but also other options? How much more quickly could they adapt as requirements evolve? What new use cases would become possible? How would this next-generation “blended networking” advance the IoT in 2022 and beyond?

Understanding the Options

Each connectivity option has benefits in its own right:

• • Ethernet or wired connectivity performs best in applications where a device or piece of equipment is in a fixed position and cabling is not an issue, such as in industrial settings. 
  • Wi-Fi performs well in data-intensive stationary applications such as Smart Home and in-building or campus environments, as long as occasional lapses in connection will not adversely impact performance and device configuration is manageable.
  • LPWAN (Sigfox, LoRa) performs best in situations where hundreds or thousands of low-cost, low-power devices may be deployed over a large geographic area, such as utility metering.
  • Cellular (3G, 4G LTE, and Cat-M1) provides the best all-around ubiquitous option if the amount of data is not feasible to handle with LPWAN but still needs to cover a wide geographic area. Cellular is a good option for devices in motion, such as transportation and fleet management and firmware updates. 
  • Satellite is the best option for “off the grid” applications where other connectivity options simply aren’t available, such as in shipping and aviation.

Also Read: ‘Thin IoT’ Will Accelerate Connected Devices in Future

Applications of Blended Connectivity

Having access to more than one type of connectivity allows for fluid connectivity and graceful failover if the first connectivity option becomes unstable. However, this is only one application of blended networking. There is a wide range of IoT solutions that would benefit from a more heterogeneous approach that blends two or more connectivity options. Some examples include:

• Innovators and enterprises with IoT solutions in the development phase can prototype in the lab using their existing Wi-Fi or Ethernet capabilities without setting up cellular connectivity or running code on an embedded device. This reduces data transmission and hardware costs in the early project stages. Using blended connectivity, when cellular-equipped commercial devices are ready for use, they can be activated through the management portal without changing the application infrastructure or starting from scratch. With lower costs to get started and an accelerated time to market, more IoT applications can be developed.
• In the shipping and aviation industries, a satellite is often the only option when a plane or ship is out of range of other connectivity options. But in port or at the airport, businesses in these industries need to be able to take advantage of a lower-cost connectivity option. If the data transmission size is small or transmission is infrequent, LPWAN can be used, and if more data is needed, devices can be switched to cellular. Having multiple connectivity options gives these companies great flexibility in the way they use the IoT.
  
• In precision irrigation, sensors are used in the field, and AI is used in the cloud. However, there are oftentimes locations where the signal from a connectivity provider is not strong enough, and a backup connection from a different provider is required. In these cases, businesses can use the same integration as the back-end service without re-architecting applications.
• In smart energy devices, LPWAN and cellular connectivity can be used in a blended way. LPWAN can be used to control systems like HVAC, with cellular available for more data-intensive processes such as firmware updates. 

Also Read: All You Need To Know About eUICC Enabled SIM and Why It’s Important for a Greener Planet

Creating Secure Connections

In broader IoT deployments, such as between headquarters and branch offices or manufacturing settings, devices might be tested and deployed hundreds of miles away. This was previously accomplished by giving devices global access. However, to do so meant exposing those devices to public networks. A blended network architecture creates a secure data pipe similar to a private cellular connection but over any internet type. 

As devices are deployed to new locations, blended networking helps anyone developing IoT solutions to maintain end-to-end secure connections over any available public network internet connection back to the cloud. This is true even on networks they do not control, without software development kit (SDK) integration.

One of the biggest benefits of blended networks is the ability to get started quickly using connectivity options such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet without checking for cellular coverage, purchasing a SIM card and modem, or committing to a cellular connectivity plan. The ability to connect devices via LPWAN, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or satellite in addition to cellular and manage them from a unified platform dramatically expands the range of options available to those creating new IoT experiences and could lead to a more connected future in 2022 and beyond.