Simulation of wireless communication WAN for internet of things: A case study

Abstract

There are multiple technologies for transporting info-communications between objects and machines for the internet. Two of the most robust and with the highest coverage and support for multiple users are 4G and WiMax IEEE 802.16x. This paper presents a simulation of land coverage of both wireless communication technologies as a broadband communication alternative for new free, private, or supported operators by public institutions, such as municipalities or regional cooperatives. The cases of the cities of Riga, Bucharest, Florianópolis, Santiago, Concepción, and Copiapó were studied. The study uses Radio Mobile GLOBE-BIL software, obtaining propagation coverage graphs on digital SRTM terrain elevation maps released by NASA. This simulation determines the number of antennas required for millions of users in the context of the Internet of Things. It quantifies the square kilometers of wireless propagation coverage that can be technically achieved for each project city. The results show that WiMax supports a more significant number of connected users, has better coverage, and requires fewer antennas. On the other hand, for the propagation coverage indicator, the results for 5 cities are better for WiMax technology than 4G, except for Santiago (Chile), where the best performance is achieved for 4G over WiMax.