Is LoRaWAN the key to Higher Education's success?

In areas dominated by small towns and farming, the ability to leverage innovative technologies is not always present. But for residents of Eastern North Carolina a different future is taking shape. As the region faces the multiple challenges of income inequality, elevated unemployment, and migration of youth to larger cities, a new and sustainable solution has emerged. One driven by a reliable and easy-to-deploy technology that can enable new opportunities for economic and educational development.

For Dr. Ciprian “Chip” Popoviciu, the use of LoRaWAN (long-range wide-area network) technology offers a unique opportunity to spur greater innovation in the Eastern North Carolina region. Known as Dr. Chip he spearheads the Center for IoT Engineering and Innovation (CIEI) in the College of Engineering at East Carolina University (ECU). Located in Greeneville, North Carolina the Center is dedicated to driving IoT adoption in the region to bolster economic development and address an array of environmental and societal challenges.

The PITON Initiative

Thanks to Dr. Chip’s vision, rural areas and small towns throughout Eastern North Carolina can now leverage innovative technologies to help improve their quality of life. CIEI’s core mission is to provide LoRaWAN connectivity for sensors alongside infrastructure for data hosting, visualization, and analysis. By doing so, users can leverage their sensor data and the Center’s resources to better understand their operations, automate workflows—and capture missed opportunities.

Building a LoRaWAN platform was a key component of a CIEI initiative known as the Platform for IoT Open Networks (PITON). Also led by Dr. Chip, PITON’s goal is to create a plug & play platform to:

• Easily deploy and manage sensors
• Automatically collect and curate real-time data
• Access and share data
• Implement workflow data.

The idea for PITON emerged from conversations with the communities in which ECU is embedded. “So much in our economy is still done manually – and inefficiently – and there is immense appetite in rural, under-connected communities to understand the art of the possible with technology,” says Dr. Chip.

“Let me provide an example related to smart farming that many in North Carolina will easily understand – the challenge of flooding. If their farms are flooded, traditionally farmers must physically drive to different locations across their land, manually measure the water levels,” related Dr. Chip. “Based on those measurements, they determine when to use pumps to collect excess water. Of course, because it is all done manually, it is extremely time intensive and inefficient.” But with LoRaWAN connected IoT sensors the work is automated and data is in real-time. This saves time, is more efficient, and improves decision making.

Currently, fourteen projects have emerged from PITON. “What makes this initiative so special is the extent to which CIEI is embedded in and working with the community to bring tangible solutions to eastern North Carolina, powered by Cisco technology” added Meghan Steele, vice president of U.S. Public Sector East at Cisco.

A sustainable approach to connecting across distances

Distance is often considered a significant challenge for some technologies but not for LoRaWAN due to its bandwidth, low power, and long distance capabilities, which helps increase signal reach up to thirty miles thanks to the region’s flat terrain. “We know Eastern North Carolina is home to many under-connected communities,” states Steele. “We’re proud that our technology is providing connectivity across approximately 1,500 square miles to unlock increased opportunity and economic development.”

As home to a low-lying coastal geography dotted with inlets, wetlands, and lowlands, Eastern North Carolina is much more susceptible to damage during hurricanes and flooding. That’s why CIEI is targeting the water and land management potential of the technology, as well as air quality. But the unique natural environment also presents great opportunities for the region’s economy, allowing CIEI to explore connectivity for sensor data at offshore wind farms thanks to North Carolina’s extensive coast.

CIEI is also seeking to enhance the sustainability of communities through its LoRaWAN approach. Sensors can lower the barrier of entry for users and limit environmental and wildlife impacts by reducing maintenance, travel, and pollutants. Plus, the data collected provides a baseline for monitoring environmental conditions.

LoRaWAN is helping build better communities

CIEI seeks to use LoRaWAN as a way to improve community engagement among residents living in the many rural areas and towns of the region. By educating and training local communities on the benefits of IoT, they are helping local leaders and residents understand the benefits of adopting new technologies, increasing willingness to adopt digital services.

According to Dr. Chip “The students that work on this initiative truly have their eyes opened to the power of technology.” The LoRaWAN infrastructure gives them a platform for research projects focusing on IoT and data analytics. He added, “There’s a direct tie to workforce development and opportunity, as students see a path for a career, for entrepreneurship directly impacting rural communities.”

Steele added that “The partnership between communities, researchers, educators, and the private sector is having a significant impact in eastern North Carolina, and Chip’s innovation and the model he has spearheaded has the potential to be replicated across the U.S.

Additional resources on LoRaWAN

Share: