Do Small Cells Make Sense for Simple Low Cost LPWANs?

The increasing adoption of low power wide area networks (LPWANs) for Internet of Things (IoT) devices requires a thorough examination of network dynamics for multi-cell networks. This letter introduces a novel scheme for multi-cell LPWAN and assesses the success probability for end devices at the cell edge using stochastic geometry to model intra-cell interference. We identify the optimal number of cells for a guaranteed minimum success probability, revealing that small cells enhance the average signal-to-interference-noise ratio. It benefits devices at the cell edge, addressing the challenges posed by the growing number of IoT devices in LPWANs.