Workshop Report: Low power wide area networks; promising technologies for IoT applications

The Department of Computer Engineering organized a workshop on “Low power wide area networks; promising technologies for IoT applications“ during the 9th IEC event, on 16th of February, 2023 in Erbil International Hotel (Sheraton) from 09:40 AM to 12:00 PM.

Low power wide area networks (LPWANs) are a type of wireless network that offer long-range connectivity with low power consumption, making them ideal for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. These networks are designed to enable long-range communications over a wide area while using minimal power, making them ideal for applications that require devices to run on batteries for extended periods.

LPWANs are attractive for IoT applications due to their low cost, low power consumption, and the ability to connect large numbers of devices over long distances. They use various wireless technologies such as LoRaWAN, Sigfox, and NB-IoT to achieve long-range connectivity while minimizing power usage. One of the key advantages of LPWANs is their ability to connect devices in remote and difficult-to-reach areas where other wireless networks are not feasible. For example, LPWANs can be used to monitor soil moisture levels in agricultural fields or track the movement of wildlife in remote areas. LPWANs are also useful for smart city applications, such as monitoring air quality, traffic flow, and waste management. By using LPWANs, cities can save on costs associated with infrastructure and maintenance while improving overall efficiency and quality of life for residents.

Overall, LPWANs represent a promising technology for IoT applications due to their ability to provide long-range connectivity with low power consumption at a low cost. As the number of IoT devices continues to grow, LPWANs will likely become increasingly important in enabling the widespread adoption of IoT technology.

The distinguished workshop speaker:
Dr. Qahhar Muhammed Qadir
Assistant Professor in Computer Systems department, University of Kurdistan Hewler

Profile: Qahhar received Ph.D. in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Southern Queensland in 2015, MSc in Computer Information Engineering from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2001, and BSc in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Salahaddin University Erbil in 1993. He has more than 20 years of tertiary teaching experience and 10 years of industrial experience in communications and computer system engineering in Kurdistan, Australia, and Malaysia. Qahhar is the solo or first author of IEEE Transactions, IEEE journals and IEEE Letters. He is reviewing for IEEE journals and an organizing committee of the International Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference ITNAC and a technical program committee for a number of International conferences. He is the recipient of a number of international scholarships such as Australian Postgraduate Awards, The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Scholarship (or MSP), and Malaysian International Postgraduate Research Award (IPRA). He is a member of IEEE, Engineers Australia, Australian Computer Society (ACS), Engineers Canada and Kurdistan Engineers Union. His current research interests include low-power wide area networks, IoT, green communication and industry 4.0.

The objectives of the workshop are as follows:

Analysis of the growth of different connection technologies (Machine-to-machine and mobile devices)
Discuss the underlying technologies
The emerging applications with specific requirements
Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) applications, use-cases, challenges and research opportunities

The main sessions/topics of the workshop were:

Session 1: Global device and connection growth Global Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connection growth Global M2M connection growth by industries Global mobile device and connection growth.
Coffee break
Session 2: Underlying technologies for global mobile device and connection Emergence of applications with specific requirements Limitation of legacy wireless technologies for IoT.

The outcome and main objectives of the workshop are as follows:

Low power wide area networks (LPWANs) are a type of wireless network that offer long-range connectivity with low power consumption, making them ideal for IoT applications.
LPWANs use various wireless technologies such as LoRaWAN, Sigfox, and NB-IoT to achieve long-range connectivity while minimizing power usage.
LPWANs are attractive for IoT applications due to their low cost, low power consumption, and ability to connect large numbers of devices over long distances.
LPWANs can be used in various applications such as monitoring soil moisture levels in agricultural fields or tracking the movement of wildlife in remote areas.
LPWANs are also useful for smart city applications, such as monitoring air quality, traffic flow, and waste management.
Overall, LPWANs represent a promising technology for IoT applications due to their ability to provide long-range connectivity with low power consumption at a low cost.
As the number of IoT devices continues to grow, LPWANs will likely become increasingly important in enabling the widespread adoption of IoT technology.