Sigfox Based Network Planning Analysis for Public Internet of Things Services in Metropolitan Area

Sigfox is a radio protocol Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology that has a characteristic global reach, cost-effective, energy efficiency, and simplicity. Sigfox operates in the unlicensed spectrum frequency band, during transmitting and receiving messages, Sigfox uses ultra-narrow band (UNB) modulation technique. This paper analyzes Sigfox based network planning for public Internet of Things (IoT) services in a metropolitan area that has 10.37 million population and 662.3 km². The result of the study stated that 33 access points are needed to cover the entire city. The simulation result shows that 99.9% of the area has a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) Downlink level above -134 dBm. The mean values of RSRP Downlink and Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) Downlink are -91.81 dBm and 7.98 dB, respectively. Meanwhile, for the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) Downlink parameter, 98.7% metropolitan area is covered and has a mean value of -87.91 dBm. Okumura-Hata radio propagation model is used and gives results that allowed propagation loss and shadow fading margin are 152.5 dB and 7.5 dB, respectively, thus cell range for one access point reaches 3.28 km.

I. Introduction

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) is radio technology as a media to connect low power end-devices such as sensor and controller in the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine communications (M2M). To support the deployment of IoT and M2M, LPWAN must-have characteristics like long-range communications, low power consumption, low data rate, low cost of devices and deployment, simplified network topology, and full deployment coverage and network scalability for a capacity upgrade [1] . Sigfox is LPWAN technology based in France, where Sigfox is a technology standard as well as a network operator. Sigfox network operates globally, with only one official licensed local operator in each country. Sigfox, along with LoRa and NB-IoT, is leading LPWAN technology compared to other LPWAN technology [2] . The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) Republic of Indonesia, as an official regulatory body, has allocated a spectrum of non-cellular LPWAN in the 920 – 923 MHz frequency band [4] . The spectrum is unlicensed, where the granted spectrum is a class license. In Indonesia telecommunication law terminology, the class license is defined as the right given to each individual and or entity to be able to operate a Telecommunications Equipment that uses the Radio Frequency Spectrum. From this definition, it can be concluded that the character of the class license is a free license, shared spectrum frequency, prohibited from causing harmful interference, and must follow the technical requirement. This paper analyzes Sigfox Radio Frequency (RF) network planning for public IoT services. The study case is in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Jakarta is considered as Metropolitan Area, which has area 662.3 km ² and 10.37 million population.