LoRaWAN roaming

Copyright ©Actility
LoRaWAN Roaming
Alper Yegin
Director of Standards and Advanced Technology Development, Actility
Technical Committee Co-chair and Vice-Chair, LoRa Alliance

• Use cases
• Types of roaming
• Implementation
• LoRa Alliance activities
• ThingPark & roaming
• Q&A
Content
2

3
Alliance Member Public Networks
Other LoRaWAN Deployment
Network Operators83
~100
Countries with LoRaWAN
Deployments
We have been building IoT Networks….

4
LoRa Alliance Member Public Networks
Other LoRaWAN Deployment
Network Operators83
~100
Countries with LoRaWAN
Deployments
We have been building IoT Networks….
Now is time to build Network of Networks!

5
Applications crossing borders (e.g., tracking)?
Multi-national customers?
Densify the network w/o additional CAPEX?
⇒ Network collaboration
(technically known as Roaming)

Coverage Extension
6
Public or private/enterprise networks
Home NS
JS
AS
Visited NS
Geographically adjacent or disjoint
AS: Application Server
JS: Join Server
NS: Network Server
GW: Gateway
GWs

Coverage Extension
7
Public or private/enterprise networks
Geographically adjacent or disjoint
AS: Application Server
JS: Join Server
NS: Network Server
GW: Gateway
Always roaming
Home NS
JS
AS
Visited NS
GWs

Coverage Extension not Needed?
8
Home NS
JS
GWs
AS

Coverage Densification
9
Macrodiversity! (several receivers)
⇒ Closer GWs
⇒ Higher data rate, lower power (ADR!)
⇒ Less interference (win-win)
⇒ More battery life
⇒ More GWs
⇒ Better TDOA/RSSI geoloc accuracy
ADR: Adaptive Data Rate
TDOA: Time Difference of Arrival
RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator
Home NS
JS
Visited NS
AS

10
Macrodiversity! (several receivers)
⇒ Closer GWs
⇒ Higher data rate, lower power (ADR!)
⇒ Less interference (win-win)
⇒ More battery life
⇒ More GWs
⇒ Better TDOA/RSSI geoloc accuracy
ADR: Adaptive Data Rate
TDOA: Time Difference of Arrival
RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator
Home NS
JS
Visited NS
AS
Very unique mode of roaming:
• Not available to NB-IoT, Wi-SUN (tech limitation)
• Not available to SigFox (business model limitation)

11
Simultaneous roaming with multiple networks
⇒ Even closer GWs
⇒ Even more GWs
Home NS
JS
Visited NSs
AS

Types of Roaming
12
Passive Roaming Handover Roaming
Visited NS
GW controller
Home NS
JS
Anchor
L2 controller
GW controller
No Roaming
AS
Home NS
JS
Anchor
L2 controller
AS
Visited NS
GW controller
Home NS
JS
Anchor
L2 controller
AS

Passive vs Handover Roaming
13
Criteria Passive Roaming Handover Roaming
Applicability All devices (transparent) LoRaWAN 1.1 devices
Macrodiversity Yes No
Channel plan overlap Minimum level of overlap needed
Radio configuration
exchange among
networks
Needed Not needed
L2 control
In home network
(home may favor for better device
management)
In visited network
(visited may favor for better radio network
management)

Handover + Passive Roaming
14
JS
Home NS
(anchor)
Serving NS
(L2 controller)
Forwarding NSs
(GW controller)
AS
Handover Roaming
Passive Roaming
Initial implementation & deployments
are using Passive Roaming.
Handover Roaming will come later
(dependency on LoRaWAN 1.1
devices).

Step 1: Implement the Specs
15
End-
device
Network Server
(home)
ED-NS
Application
Server
Join Server
hNS-JS
AS-hNS
JS-AS
Network Server
(serving)
Network Server
(forwarding)
Radio
Gateway
hNS-sNS
vNS-JS
fNS-sNS
• LoRa Alliance Technical Committee
standard specs:
• LoRaWAN 1.0.x (Passive Roaming)
• LoRaWAN 1.1 required for Handover Roaming
• Backend Interfaces 1.0
vNS-JS

Step 2: Get a NetID
16
32bit DevAddr
Fixed
Prefix
NwkID NwkAddr
Identifies your network, when your devices
send uplinks in visited networks
NwkID is a scarce resource (limited # of bits)
NwkID generated from NetID
NetIDs assigned to LoRa Alliance members
(help@lora-alliance.org)
Sponsors Contributors
Adopters/Institutionals

Avoid Mistakes
17
Random DevAddr or JoinEUI/AppEUI ⇒ Device loses home while roaming
DevAddr
Fixed
Prefix
NwkID NwkAddr
Identifies your network, when your devices
send uplinks in visited networks
JoinEUI/AppEUI DevEUI DevNonceJoin-request
Identifies Join Server, that helps visited network discover the
home of an activating device

Step 3: Partner up!
18
Public Networks
Private Networks
Not only a “necessity” but also a “strength” for LoRaWAN
Treat collaboration/roaming as ”default” choice
roaming
+Your network

LoRa Alliance Technical Committee
19
• Backend Interfaces 1.1 (work-in-progress)
• Geoloc for roaming
• Bug fixes/clarifications
• Roaming WG
• Interop
• Accounting
• Roaming hub
• LoRaWAN-DNS

20
IoT network business enabler
Data analytics and control framework
IoT connectivity platform
Geolocation and tracking of IoT devices
B2B e-commerce hub for IoT
IoT ecosystem digital services
IoT market enablers
Developer support and go-to-market accelerator
Smart grid, flexibility market & energy efficiency
Core network management solution For public
IoT networks & service providers
Powering IoT connectivity solutions dedicated
to enterprise applications
• Leading LoRaWAN system vendor
• Over half of national public networks globally
powered by ThingPark platform
• Most comprehensive product/service portfolio
• LoRa Alliance leadership
• Founding member, Alliance Vice-chair, Board
Member, Technical Committee Co-chair,
Developer Community WG Chair, and active
across all groups
• Developer network
• 1000+ registered members
• B2B marketplace
• 150+ sellers

22
• Standard spec development
• Implementation
• Interop
• Deployments
• KPN-Orange
• Proximus-Objenious
• …
& Roaming

23
Proxy Network/Join
Server
ThingPark Exchange
Policy control
Accounting
Network Servers
Join Servers
Actility Platforms
Non-Actility Platforms
Public Networks
Private Networks

Questions?
www.actility.com

LoRaWAN roaming

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