Compared to systems featuring cumbersome wires, wireless systems offer the very highest flexibility and convenience in networking applications. A huge range of technologies is available on the market, each of which is suitable for various applications with correspondingly diverse requirements. Together with Europe’s leading semiconductor distributor, EBV Elektronik, we have developed a table that helps to make an initial basic selection from the most important wireless technologies.
Contents
WLAN
Range: 10 – 100 m
Frequency band: 2,4 GHz/5,8 GHz/60 GHz
Max. data rate: 1.700 Mbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: High
Standardisation body: IEEE 802
Typical applications: LAN, Internet
LoRa
Range: 2 – 5 km in urban area, 15 km in rural area
Frequency band: 868 MHz EU/902 – 928 MHz US
Max. data rate: 0,3 – 50 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Low/very low
Standardisation body: LoRa Alliance
Typical applications: Smart City, Smart Agriculture, Logistics
Sigfox
Range: < 10 km in urban area, 50 km in rural area
Frequency band: 868 MHz EU / 902 MHz US
Max. data rate: 100 bps EU / 600 bps US
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / limited
Power consumption: Low/very low
Standardisation body: Sigfox
Typical applications: Smart City, Smart Agriculture, Logistics, Metering, Alarm backup
Weightless-N (-P, -W)
Range: ca. 2 km in urban area, < 10 km in rural area
Frequency band: License-free, sub-1-GHz frequencybands
Max. data rate: 100 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low
Standardisation body: Weightless SIG
Typical applications: Smart Metering
Mobilfunk
Range: 35 km GSM, < 200 km 3G / 4G
Frequency band: Country-specific, frequency ranges between 700 and 2600 MHz
Max. data rate: 2G: 50 – 500 Kbps, 3G HPSA+: 42 Mbps, 4G LTE-A: 300 Mbps (1Gbps)
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Medium/high
Standardisation body: 3GPP
Typical applications: Mobile Phones and Telemetry
Mobilfunk – IOT
Range: 5 km in urban area, 15 km in rural area
Frequency band: Country-specific, frequency ranges between 700 and 2600 MHz; sub-1-GHz band usually used
Max. data rate: 1 Mbps Cat M1, 50 Kbps NB-IoT
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Low
Standardisation body: 3GPP
Typical applications: IoT, Smart City, Metering
Mobilfunk 5G
Range: A few hundred metres
Frequency band: Country-specific, frequency ranges, between 700 and 2600 MHz, 3600 MHz, 28 GHz, 38 GHz
Max. data rate: 40 Gbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: High
Standardisation body: 3GPP
Typical applications: Entertainment, Autonomous Driving, IoT
EnOcean
Range: 30 m indoors, up to 300 m with line of sight
Frequency band: 868 MHz EU / 902 MHz US
Max. data rate: 125 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low
Standardisation body: EnOcean Alliance
Typical applications: Maintenance-free batteryless Radio Sensor Systems
Bluetooth
Range: 5 to 15 m indoors, up to 100 m with line of sight
Frequency band: 2,4 GHz
Max. data rate: 10 Mbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Medium
Standardisation body: Bluetooth SIG
Typical applications: Connection of external devices, data synchronization between devices, Audio Streaming
Bluetooth Low Energy
Range: 10 - 100 m (> 1 km mesh)
Frequency band: 2,4 GHz
Max. data rate: < 2 Mbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low
Standardisation body: Bluetooth SIG
Typical applications: Home Automation, Consumer
Thread
Range: 160 m/mesh
Frequency band: 2,4 GHz
Max. data rate: 250 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low/low
Standardisation body: Thread Group
Typical applications: Home and Building Automation
ZigBee
Range: 100 m /mesh
Frequency band: 868 MHz EU / 915 MHz US / 2,4 GHz
Max. data rate: 20 / 40 / 250 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low/low
Standardisation body: ZigBee Alliance
Typical applications: Sensor Networks, Smart Metering, Lighting
Z-Wave
Range: 30 m/mesh
Frequency band: 868 MHz EU / 908 MHz US
Max. data rate: 100 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low
Standardisation body: Z-Wave Alliance
Typical applications: Home Automation
Dect
Range: 30 – 300 m
Frequency band: Country-specific, in Europe 1880-1900 MHz
Max. data rate: 1152 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Medium
Standardisation body: DECT Alliance
Typical applications: Cordless Landline Telephones
WM-Bus
Range: 50 - 100 m in buildings, Approx. 3 km in urban area, 10 km in rural area
Frequency band: 169, 433, 868 MHz
Max. data rate: 2,4 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Low
Standardisation body: EC EN 13757-4
Typical applications: Industrial, Smart Metering, Home Automation
6LoWPAN
Range: < 200 m, (> 1 km mesh)
Frequency band: 868 MHz EU, 902–928 MHz US, (2,4 MHz)
Max. data rate: 250 Kbps
Uplink/Downlink: Yes / Yes
Power consumption: Very low/low
Standardisation body: 6LoWPAN
Typical applications: Industrial, Home Automation, IoT
