Evaluation of low-power wireless communication technology in underground environments for smart cities applications

This paper presents a study of LoRa communication technology performance on underground environments. The communication parameters evaluated between transmitter and receiver considered the depth of the device, the distance between them and the environment where the tests were performed (dense urban, forest and with direct line of sight environments). It was found that the transmission loses data packets when increasing the depth of the device, being also influenced by other factors, like the transmission environment. In addition, it also presents a contribution regarding the transmission of underground signals with no need of communication cables for monitoring parameters of interest, such as leakages tracking in water distribution systems for smart cities applications.