LoRa interference issues and solution approaches in dense IoT networks: a review

Abstract

Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) are prominent option of wireless communication technology for dense Internet of Things (IoT) applications. With a growing population of resource-constrained IoT devices, meeting various communication requirements in dynamic and dense wireless networks has become a significant problem. Long Range (LoRa) was designed for LPWAN, which features long-distance communication, low-power consumption, and simultaneous transmission of multiple end devices. However, LoRa deployment in dense IoT networks facing several challenges like interference, scalability, security, and reliability. In recent times numerous techniques have been developed for interference mitigation. As these techniques used a range of methodologies to address the interference challenge, it is necessary to thoroughly analyze current solutions. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on interference issues and the solution approaches in LoRa. Initially, the challenges in dense IoT networks are discussed. We next present the fundamentals of LoRa and the classification of interference in the different categories. In each type of interference, the available methodologies are categorized based on their solution approaches. The analysis of different solution approaches is summarized by examining various issues of the LoRa network. Finally, the open issues and future directions related to the interference in the LoRa network are discussed.