Difference between LoRaWan and Sigfox

Pre-requisite – Data Link Layer Communication Protocols in IoT

Different Network protocols are used in IoT (Internet of Things) to give the services to the network layer. In IoT to establish the communication between devices, we need communication protocols. In Network protocols, LPWAN is one of the popular standard communication protocol which is widely used. 

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) :
LPWAN is also known as Low Power Wide Area Network. It is a wireless wide area network which varies from 2 km to 1000 km range. SigFox, LoRaWAN are the examples of LPWAN technology. Both LoRaWAN and SigFox implements wireless data integration for the long range, low power division. However, LoRaWAN and SigFox are different technologies. 

1. SigFox :
SigFox uses bidirectional functionality, that is DBPSK in one direction and GFSK in the other direction. Where DBPSK stands for Differential binary phase-shift keying and GFSK stands for Gaussian frequency shift keying, SigFox and their partners set up receivers on towers and receives data transmissions from different nodes of different devices. 

2. LoRaWAN :
LoRaWAN is a MAC layer protocol, which is designed for large scale public networks. LoRaWAN is built using Semtech’s LoRa technology. But the important is that, LoRa and LoRaWAN are two different things. LoRa and LoraWAN comes under the non-cellular LPWAN wireless communication network protocols. 

Difference between LoRaWan and Sigfox 

S.NO	Comparison	SigFox	LoRaWAN
01	Modulation	It follows Binary phase-shift keying modulation.	LoRaWAN follows Chirp spread spectrum modulation.
02	Bandwidth	In SigFox the bandwidth is 100Hz.	For LoRaWAN the bandwidth is 250KHz and 125KHz.
03	Maximum data rate	It can send up to 100bps .	In case of LoRaWAN the maximum data rate  is 50Kbps.
04	Functionality	SigFox is limited bidirectional/Half-duplex	LoRaWAN is fully bidirectional/ Half-Duplex
05	Maximum messages/day	In SigFox the Uplink=140, Downlink =4.	In LoRaWAN this facility is Unlimited.
06	Maximum payload length	Uplink=12 bytes,  Downlink=8 bytes.	The maximum payload length is 243 bytes.
07	Range	The Range of SigFox is 10 km in urban area, 40 km in rural area.	The Range of LoRaWAN is 5 km in urban, 20 km in rural area respectively.
08	Interface Immunity	The interface immunity is very high in SigFox network architecture.	The interface immunity is same as in SigFox network architecture.
09	Authentication And Encryption	It does not support the modern Encryption Technology.	It supports (AES 128b) as Encryption Technology.
10	Topology	It Follows Star topology.	LoRaWAN follows Star-on-Stars topology.