Submitted Abstract
Connecting terrestrial LPWANs (Low Power Wide Area Networks) directly to Internet of Things (IoT) service back end via satellite broadband is becoming a new business focus with opportunities for key stakeholders including those from the agricultural sector, IoT service providers and Satellite operators. However, the technical details underlining the technology is still suffering from the lack of solutions that allow the smooth integration and interoperability of satellite and LPWAN networks, while ensuring the requested end-to-end (e2e) Quality of Service (QoS). Without this, the integrated IoT-satellite technology would fail to deliver on expectation for revolutionising the way future agriculture is conducted. The LoRaSAT project is seeking to fulfil the current technological gap. It will seek a solution design for optimising the bidirectional communication from the end devices to the application server in LoRaWAN networks integrating a satellite backhaul link. More precisely, LoRaSAT will contribute with a trail blazer solution intertwining: (i) novel synchronization methods between IoT devices and satellite, (ii) an innovative scheduling techniques for ensuring efficient and timely exchange of bidirectional acknowledged traffic (iii) strategies for LoRaWAN gateways selection and, (iv) cross-layer optimization techniques (from MAC to APP. The designed LoRaSAT e2e system will enable better data extraction, communication exchange and management, with environmental and socio-economic impacts for many actors of the IoT agriculture value chain. Amongst other, farmers will benefit from a cost-effective solution that allow them to take prompt action (for irrigating, or spreading fertilizers at the right time), based on the timely exchange of data and commands. IoT and satellite networks providers will be able to provide new services, and have access to new markets.