Whitepapers

objectives by providing a framework for the monitoring and control necessary to increase network efficiency, reduce the need for onsite interventions and reduce water loss across the network. EIGHT REASONS WHY LoRaWAN ® IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR WATER UTILITIES A range of LPWAN technologies allows network operators to establish connectivity between water network control stations and remote IoT sensors. Options such as narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and satellite connectivity require compromises in areas such as coverage, penetration to reach below-ground assets, and power demands that shorten battery life. LoRaWAN balances these issues most effectively, leading to its wide acknowledgement as the best choice for water utilities' use cases. Following are eight reasons why. 1. More Cost-Effective Coverage Australia's mobile phone networks cover 99.4% of highly populated areas. But limited service in many regional and remote areas reduces connectivity options in and between these areas. The installation of GSM and cellular base stations to improve regional coverage is expensive and time-consuming. LoRaWAN provides a more flexible and scalable architecture for water utilities than cellular and NB-IoT solutions, whose communications protocols consume more power and cannot provide the same reach as LoRaWAN. Satellite options are often too expensive or lack the necessary performance characteristics to meet requirements. One option is for water utilities to make use of the inherent flexibility of LoRaWAN by roaming between their privately owned LoRaWAN network and a telecommunications operator's LoRaWAN network infrastructure. This presents two advantages: ■ Private LoRaWAN network access can be expanded by connecting to an operator-based LoRaWAN network, reducing cost and scaling deployments. ■ Enterprises are not restricted by the high cost of data transmissions from cellular networks, as LoRaWAN networks do not require use of licensed spectrum. 2. Better Ground Penetration, including for Underground, Hard-to-Reach, or Deep Indoor Locations It is estimated that of the 354,727 kms of pipes 12 in Australia, 85% to 90% are underground or deep indoors, according to Water Services Association of Australia estimates. This represents a major challenge for water utilities, which need to monitor and maintain their entire networks. Figure 5: Net Zero Initiatives Aim to Reduce Water Networks' Carbon Footprints Source: https://www.wsp.com/en-TH/insights/net-zero-for-australian-water Case Study: Goanna Ag Enables Smarter Cotton Production, Australia Cotton is one of the world's most water-hungry crops, and the processes used to produce it vary dramatically depending on the availability of water. Optimising production requires better information about water distribution, but traditional manual monitoring has been difficult across cotton valleys that may span hundreds of thousands of hectares of arid and semi-arid land. A pilot program, led by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), has demonstrated the significant value of deploying networks of moisture and canopy temperature monitors across five different cotton farms. Researchers worked with LoRaWAN operator NNNCo and agricultural technology firm Goanna Ag to deploy 175+ LoRaWAN gateways across 55,000 square kilometers in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, providing fast, reliable connectivity in areas where satellite options were too slow and mobile networks absent. Data from real-time soil moisture sensors and canopy temperature sensors is fed across the LoRaWAN network into a central server, where it is combined with local weather forecasts and fed to proprietary CSIRO algorithms that allow farmers to forecast crop water use on a day-to-day basis. The platform was found to deliver an additional $177 per hectare per season in net benefits, with an outlay of just $25 per hectare per season - promising a significant boost to cotton production that will allow Australia's cotton producers to make the best possible use of whatever water resources they have available. 12. This figure also includes sewer channels- Source: National Performance Report: http://www.bom.gov.au/water/npr/ www.lora-alliance.org p.10 Read more

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