
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to allow everyday objects to connect to the Internet and seamlessly interact with users and other machines. Essential for the IoT to function is a reliable Internet connection. In 2016 the International Telecommunication Union reports 3.9 billion people - 53% of the world's population are not using the Internet [1]. Projects like Loon (X) and Aquila (Facebook) aim to solve this connectivity gap using atmospheric satellites to deliver 4G-like signals to underserved regions. With the recent interest in low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) in the license-free ISM bands, we consider using atmospheric satellites to improve coverage in LPWAN networks. We find that LPWAN technologies are compatible with atmospheric satellites and demonstrate that significant connectivity gains are possible by locating an LPWAN base station at altitude from 1 km – 28 km when compared to a typical ground-based base station.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 10 | |
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| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
