Wize Protocol as LPWAN technology : Key features, benefits & limitations

Introduction

In the evolving landscape of the Internet of Things (IoT), Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies have become essential for enabling long range, low energy communication among connected devices.

What is Wize technology ?

It is LPWAN technology developed based on European Wireless M-Bus standard 13757-x. Wize protocol is bidirectional and uses 169 MHz frequency for communication.
Among the various LPWAN standards, Wize Protocol stands out for its exceptional performance in smart metering and urban infrastructure applications. Due to lower radio frequency, Wize offers unmatched penetration capabilities, ultra low power consumption and long battery life. The wize technology is managed by Wize Alliance, which promotes international standard for IoT.

Wize network is simple and requires communication object and a concentrator to start deployment. There is no requirement of repeater or pairing.

Key features of Wize protocol

Following table mentions key speficifications of Wize system with respect to various parameters.

Advantages of Wize technology

Following are some of the benefits of Wize protocol.

1. Due to its low radio frequency, it can be used for long range communication. It supports up to 50 Km in open field.
2. Wize technology consumes less energy and allows longer life. It supports battery life to about 15-20 years.
3. It has good resistance to attenuation and hence can connect with hard to reach isolated or buried objects in areas such as basements, underground installations etc.
4. The deployment is simple and cost effective as it requires minimum network equipments.
5. As it is based on AES128, it offers secure and robust communication.
6. Managed by the Wize Alliance, the protocol encourages collaboration, open standards and interoperability among different vendors or manufacturers.

Disadvantages of Wize technology

Follwing are some of the limitations of Wize technology.

1. It has limited data throughput and hence suitable only for low data rate applications. It is not ideal for applications which require high bandwidth transmissions.
2. It is primarily used in Europe as 169 MHz band is not universally available or regulated for LPWAN use in all the countries.
3. While growing, the Wize ecosystem and developer community are smaller compared to more widely adopted LPWAN technologies such as LoRaWAN/NB-IoT.
4. Not ideal for applications that require real time responsiveness or frequent two way communication as wize protocol is designed for periodic and light-weight data transmission.

Applications

Designed specifically for deep indoor environments and hard to reach locations, Wize provides a reliable solution for utilities, smart cities and industrial IoT use cases where traditional connectivity technologies fall short.

• Smart Water Metering
• Smart Gas Metering
• Smart City including irrigation monitoring and smart lighting control and maintenance
• Smart Waste management
• Cathodic protection monitoring
• Methane leak detection

Conclusion

Wize Protocol brings a unique set of advantages to the LPWAN ecosystem, particularly for use cases that demand deep indoor coverage, long battery life, and high reliability. Its use of the 169 MHz frequency band gives it superior signal penetration, making it ideal for smart metering, building automation, and utility applications. While it may face limitations in terms of global standardization and bandwidth compared to other LPWAN alternatives like LoRaWAN or NB-IoT, Wize excels in targeted deployments where low maintenance, security, and long operational lifespan are top priorities.

References

Wize Alliance , website : wize-alliance.com