Both reach sensors far from any cable. The difference is what has to exist first. LoRaWAN needs a gateway in range and a network server behind it; cellular needs coverage from a mobile network and nothing else on site.
| LoRaWAN | Cellular (4G-LTE) | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs on site | A gateway within radio range, with its own backhaul | Mobile coverage |
| Needs behind it | A network server, public or private | A mobile operator and a SIM |
| Payload | Small messages, limited airtime | Larger messages, batched readings |
| Best when | Many sensors are clustered within range of one gateway | Points are scattered across sites and regions |
| First reading | After the gateway and the network are set up | When the unit is powered in coverage |
Hundreds of sensors within a few kilometres of one gateway can share its infrastructure, and LoRaWAN shines.
A gateway per site is infrastructure for every handful of sensors. Cellular needs nothing but coverage.
A private LoRaWAN network is something to install and maintain. Cellular puts that on the operator.
Genesis ships with 4G-LTE as its default link, and Wi-Fi where a site network exists.
Its expansion slot takes external modules such as LoRa and LoRaWAN, for the sites where that network already exists.
Readings are buffered on the device through gaps in coverage. Where there is none at all, a site network over Wi-Fi or an external module in the expansion slot is the route.
Transmitting is the expensive part, which is why readings are collected on one interval and sent in batches on another. Both are set from the dashboard.
Tell us what has to be measured or switched, where, and what it has to report into. We say which approach fits, including when it is not ours.
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