IoT Connectivity is a broad and complex topic, making it sometimes difficult to know the key to consider when making connectivity decisions for your business.
To help you on your way, we’ll cover the most important elements of IoT connectivity in this quick guide to help you make the right choice for your unique connectivity needs.
Whether your IoT devices are going to be plugged in 24/7, rechargeable, or replaceable, power consumption will play a key role in the connectivity your project uses. The type of usage, the location of the device or the size of the battery will probably drive your choice of IoT connectivity required for your project.
Some projects will need as much range as possible, while others may be able to get it by using interconnected Bluetooth networks. Either way, you need to know how much range you need to be covered before choosing a connectivity solution, as this will impact other key considerations such as power consumption and cost.
Most IoT projects only need to transmit small amounts of data at a time, which means that most mainstream connectivity (like Wi-Fi) will be overkill for your project. If your project does require high data output, however, be sure to keep it in mind.
Regardless of the size, goals, and lifespan of your IoT network, reliability is key. The more downtime your network has, the less "Internet" your Internet of Things is going to have.
Because of the large-scale and often global nature of IoT projects, connectivity can quickly (and likely will) become your biggest expense. When comparing providers, make sure that you're getting the connectivity you need for a price that suits your budget without compromising on reliability.
In a perfect world, the ideal connectivity solution would have low-power consumption, wide-area coverage, high bandwidth, be extremely reliable and low cost. Unfortunately, the technology isn't quite there yet, although there are several options available that come close.
When choosing IoT connectivity, it's important to know if your IoT project is going to be made up of mobile or fixed devices, as each will have different needs. How spread out your devices are (for example, if they’re in one location or distributed internationally) and where they are physically located (indoors, underground, outside, etc.) will also play a key role in the decision-making process.
While every IoT project's needs are a little different, some general themes can be found in each industry. The technology is still new, but IoT has big implications for the way business is traditionally done. IoT networks will be able to cut costs and improve efficiency through automation, over the air updates, predictive maintenance, asset management, and remote monitoring.
Here are just a few of the different ways that IoT connectivity will differ from one industry to the next:
Since the IoT connectivity market is still fairly new, picking the right provider requires both careful consideration and judgement. Not all IoT connectivity solutions are completely developed, implementing your desired network could require you to invest in the development of infrastructure – in turn, adding to the overall cost of connectivity. It is also worth considering the accessibility of different connectivity solutions.
The key takeaway here is to closely consider the price of the connectivity solution you want to use, as well as the availability of any provider. Below are some things to keep in mind when considering your options:
Another important factor that those new to connectivity often overlook is network coverage.
Network resilience is essentially your network's ability to manage any roadblocks, such as network outages and self-heal. In other words, if something goes wrong with your network – how quickly and easily can the problem be restored?
In a network with poor resilience, an outage can become a serious problem. If handled poorly, it can result in a loss of data, security and resources. And network resiliency doesn't just refer to the frequency and severity of network outages, but also the quality of your network's coverage.
A resilient network will have reliable coverage across all its range, meaning you won't have to worry about dead spots when deploying your devices. And in the event that something does go wrong, a resilient network will be able to manage the issue with little interference from you.
If you're trying to determine if your current/potential connectivity provider will offer you the network resiliency you need – just ask yourself these four questions:
With a reliable network plan, you’ll be able to access your devices whenever you need, wherever they are. You need a strong connectivity solution that keeps your devices available to you in every situation so that you’re never without critical data. Otherwise, your network is putting you at risk.
If disaster strikes, and you do lose connectivity/data/security – does your network provider have a Plan B? And if they do, make sure that they also have a Plan Z. You can never be too prepared.
IoT projects are – by their very nature – extremely data-sensitive. They are collecting a broad scope of information across hundreds, or even thousands, of devices. And each of those devices is a potential doorway into your IoT project. If a provider doesn't value network security, they're putting your project at risk.
Lastly, you want to make sure that the quality of the network is up to par. Otherwise, you could be losing data, transmitting inaccurate data, or transmitting infrequently – all of which will greatly impair your project's effectiveness.
Even for tech-savvy individuals, determining if a network is really offering you the security you need can be a challenging task.
Fortunately, just understanding the basics of IoT network security – like the difference between public and private networks, for example – can make that decision process much easier.
A public network is one that anyone with the right hardware can connect to – like the internet! A private network, however, is members only. A familiar example of this would be most cellular networks, where you can only access them through a direct agreement.
While public networks are more affordable, they pose serious and obvious security risks. For a secure IoT network, therefore, private is the way to go:
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a network that acts as a middleman between your devices and the rest of the internet. Your device (which should be able to connect to the internet, with or without a VPN) passes all of its information through the VPN – keeping your data confidential and mostly secure.
An APN (Access Point Name) is what directly connects your device to the internet. APNs are what keep smartphones from only connecting to networks they have permission to.
IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a set of network security protocols that protect and encrypt data. Some form of IPsec is used in most VPNs as a means of securing transmitted data, ensuring that it cannot be read by any interceptor.
If you're looking for the most reliable and flexible network for your IoT project – consider choosing JT IoT as your connectivity provider. Our global network can keep your devices connected across 500+ roaming agreements in more than 210 countries and territories, ensuring your IoT devices will have consistent coverage no matter where they're deployed worldwide.
JT IoT currently offers robust cellular connectivity and has a roadmap in place for implementing LTE-M and NB-IoT networks as the technology progresses. We also have custom VPNs and APNs, so your devices won't be sharing traffic. Instead, they'll be on a unique network protected by telco-grade firewalls.
Check where we can connect your devices worldwide.
Deciding which network is right for your IoT project is an important step in making your IoT vision a reality. If you're looking for the most resilient, reliable, and secure network available, consider partnering with JT IoT for your IoT connectivity needs.
To learn more about our IoT solutions, check out our IoT brochure for further information or send us an enquiry today and one of our IoT experts will get in touch shortly.