Coverage and Performance Analysis of a Private LoRaWAN Network Deployed in Urban Areas

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) requires communication protocols capable of supporting long-range connectivity, low power consumption, and robustness against urban interference. LoRaWAN has emerged as a promising Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology, but most existing studies have evaluated its performance in controlled or rural environments. This work investigates the coverage and performance of a private LoRaWAN network deployed in Manaus, Brazil, focusing on urban conditions where reflections, obstacles, and multipath phenomena significantly affect communication. The methodology consisted of conducting four testbeds across different city regions using a mobile end device equipped with a LoRa transceiver (RAK3172) configured with AU915 MHz, Adaptive Data Rate, and periodic message transmission intervals of 10 seconds and 1 minute. Messages containing geolocation and timestamps were sent to 11 gateways distributed throughout the city, with data collected and analyzed in terms of signal quality (RSSI, SNR) and network performance (Packet Delivery Ratio PDR). The experimental results demonstrated RSSI values mostly between 100 and 120 dBm, remaining within the operational limits of LoRaWAN, although strongly affected by environmental noise and non-line-of-sight conditions. SNR values varied from 19.8 to +13.3 dB, reflecting interference and mobility impacts.