Sigfox offers new hybrid cellular chips

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Sigfox, a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) operator with a proprietary standard, announced a new chipset that will allow customers to build both Sigfox and cellular connectivity into devices, according to Mobile World Live.

Officials from network operators Telefonica, Telia, and T-Mobile were at Sigfox’s event and welcomed the introduction of the new hybrid chipset, which could lead to an uptick in LPWAN use and increase connections for all parties.

The new chipset will let companies use devices that can connect to both Sigfox networks as well as cellular LPWAN standards like NB-IoT and LTE Cat-M1.

The Sigfox network typically offers longer battery life for devices, but at the cost of lower data speeds and less frequent device communication.
Cellular LPWAN standards, on the other hand, let devices communicate more data back to a central platform, but don’t tend to offer as much battery life, meaning they’re not as well suited for extremely remote installations.
Sigfox’s new module combines the two options into a single chip that companies can use to make hybrid solutions. This means that an IoT device can transmit its location and other basic, low-bandwidth data using the Sigfox network. But if it needs to relay more information, it can switch to a cellular network to transmit that data.

Sigfox’s new chipset is an interesting new direction for the proprietary network operator. Until now, the company has focused primarily on a horizontal growth strategy, working with partners to expand its coverage network to new geographic areas and offering service in more than two dozen countries, with plans to continue to increase the number of available markets. But this new chipset and the partnership with telecommunication companies could herald a shift to a more vertical growth strategy, going after subscribers in markets it already serves who couldn't find a solution to fit their needs. This hybrid chipset and telco partnerships could help Sigfox grow by allowing the company to offer more versatile solutions, letting it grab a larger slice of the estimated 700 million LPWAN connections there will be by 2021.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, expects that more than 24 billion IoT devices will be installed globally in 2020, and the vast majority of these will fall into the small, low-power category.

So networks that are better suited to connect these low-power IoT devices — notably, Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) — are being developed. These networks can connect devices over large geographic areas because of their long range, but use less battery power on the devices they connect and offer cheaper data subscriptions than traditional cellular networks. Interest in LPWANs among IoT providers and end users is growing in response to the opportunities these benefits present.

BI Intelligence has compiled a detailed report on LPWANs that:

Details the broad need for low-cost, low-power internet connectivity for IoT devices that LPWANs will help meet.
Forecasts the growth of the LPWAN market including new networking providers and traditional mobile carriers that are launching their own LPWANs.
Examines how LPWANs will be adopted by different industries that are launching IoT projects.
Compares the distinct characteristics and advantages of different standards for LPWANs.
Explains how the LPWAN market will develop over the coming years in regards to different standards and competitors.
Examines what the future of internet network connectivity for IoT devices will look like, including LPWANs and the coming of 5G mobile networks.

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