Cellular vs Wired Connectivity in IIoT Solutions

The use of Wi-Fi has been conventional in the IoT space for many years now. Wi-Fi technology is run by radio signals that are sent from a nearby wireless router. However, with cellular connectivity on the rise, the switch is becoming more standard to devices connecting to the Internet for several key reasons. Cellular connectivity allows for increased security, greater reliability, and overall cost savings.

So, what is cellular connectivity? Fundamentally, cellular IoT is a way for physical devices to connect to public or private networks for the purpose of transmitting data. Not only does this include your smartphone, tablet, or computer, but cellular IoT allows your not-so-typical devices such as streetlights, machinery, and transportation systems to connect to the Internet with manageable use.

According to an industrial market research report conducted by Juniper Research, the expected growth for the number of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices is estimated to be up by roughly 110 percent, from 2020 to 2025. A jump from 17.8 billion devices to nearly 39 billion devices allow greater access for manufacturers of agriculture, machinery, transportation, and electric companies to be successful in providing seamless IoT solutions.

Benefits of Cellular Connectivity

The benefits of cellular connectivity prove to enhance productivity and equipment performance for IIoT. According to IndustryWeek, 82 percent of surveyed manufacturing companies found increased efficiency, and 49 percent experienced fewer product defects by utilizing cellular connectivity.

1. Extensive Coverage: Cellular connectivity reaches a wider bandwidth of coverage than previous cellular generations. This foundation of extensive range is critical for high-performing IoT solutions. Wired connectivity, such as Wi-Fi applications, cannot perform to the length cellular IoT can with such ease.
2. Cost-Saving: Cellular network connectivity may produce more costs upfront; however, it results in a quality return-on-your-investment. Cellular solutions typically hold a longer lifespan compared to wired connectivity. Constructing Wi-Fi systems require routers and infrastructure, which can be costly; cellular IoT simply connects to the cloud.
3. Greater Security and Reliability: When cellular is connected to the cloud, the signal provides a stronger connection to the device, compared to a Wi-Fi and router connection. Cellular IoT strengths the connection, resulting in resilient reliability. Additionally, cellular IoT data does not need to be manually encrypted like Wi-Fi networks do; this data is encrypted by default.

Cellular in IIoT Solutions

When comparing cellular connectivity to Wi-Fi networks, the benefits of cellular can outweigh wired in many use cases. KORE offers seamless cloud services to keep IoT transformations simple and easy. We provide your business with industrial approaches to ensure remarkable performance for your devices.

To learn more about the benefits of deploying IIoT solutions, check out our eBook, “Complete Guide to Industrial IoT”.