A Low-Cost and Low-Power Messaging System Based on the LoRa Wireless Technology

Abstract

[EN] In this paper we describe a low-cost and low-power consumption messaging system based on LoRa technology. More that one billion people worldwide cannot access even the most basic connectivity services. For them even simple messaging services would be of great help, for example to farmers wishing to know the price of goods they want to sell or buy before deciding whether a possibly long, expensive and exhausting trip is undertaken. LoRa networks allow for very long wireless links that can connect villages and towns. This system falls in the category of community networks, where users build their own network where no commercial infrastructure is available. In addition to the simple messaging application, LoRa can be used to distribute sensor information to communities or to provide disaster alerts or meteorological data.Moreno Cardenas, A.; Nakamura Pinto, MK.; Pietrosemoli, E.; Zennaro, M.; Rainone, M.; Manzoni, P. (2020). A Low-Cost and Low-Power Messaging System Based on the LoRa Wireless Technology. Mobile Networks and Applications (Online). 25(3):961-968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11036-019-01235-5961968253Liang Y-C, Hoang A-T, Chen H-H (2004) Daknet: rethinking connectivity in developing nations. Computer 37:78–83Ahmad T, Afutu A, Adjaho K, Nyarko Y, Subramanian L (2016) Technical report: design, implementation and deployment of intermittency-aware cellular edge services for rural areas. arXiv: 1604.05355Galati A, Bourchas T, Siby S, Mangold S (2014) System architecture for delay tolerant media distribution for rural south africa. In: Proceedings of the 9th ACM international workshop on wireless network testbeds, experimental evaluation and characterization, WiNTECH ’14. ACM, New York, pp 65–72, DOI https://doi.org/10.1145/2643230.2643239Saldana J, Arcia-Moret A, Braem B, Pietrosemoli E, Sathiaseelan A, Zennaro M (2016) Alternative network deployments: taxonomy, characterization, technologies, and architectures. RFC 7962, RFC Editor. https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/pdfrfc/rfc7962.txt.pdfJovalekic N, Pietrosemoli E, Rainone M, Zennaro M (2017) Smart and very distant objects. In: Proceedings of the 3rd workshop on experiences with the design and implementation of smart objects. ACM, pp 29–34Martinez A, Villarroel V, Seoane J, del Pozo F (2005) Analysis of information and communication needs in rural primary health care in developing countries. IEEE Trans Inf Technol Biomed 9(1):66–72Ntareme H, Zennaro M, Pehrson B (2011) Delay tolerant network on smartphones: applications for communication challenged areas. In: Proceedings of the 3rd extreme conference on communication: the Amazon expedition. ACM, p 14Simo-Reigadas J, Municio E, Morgado E, Castro EM, Martinez A (2015) Sharing low-cost wireless infrastructures with telecommunications operators for backhauling 3g services in deprived rural areas. In: 2015 IEEE 16th international symposium on a world of wireless, mobile and multimedia networks (WoWMoM), pp 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/WoWMoM.2015.7158164Vangelista L, Zanella A, Zorzi M (2015) Long-range iot technologies: the dawn of LoRa. In: Future access enablers of ubiquitous and intelligent infrastructures. Springer, pp 51– 58Pentland A, Fletcher R, Hasson A (2008) Cognitive radio on tv bands: a new approach to provide wireless connectivity for rural areas. IEEE Wireless Communications, 15(3