Audience: Sales, technical pre-sales, sales, support Sigfox Operators and integrators, IoT platforms. Technical level: intermediate Format: 30 mins presentation + 15 mins Questions & Answers session Speaker: Pavel Sodomka, Founder & CEO at SimpleHW Key takeaways: What is unique about Sigfox? What are coverage maps? Coverage commitments. What coverage you should get and ask for worldwide? Plan vs reality. Sigfox Coverage Measurement with CheckFox device

2. About this webinar
Who is this webinar for?
Sales, technical pre-sales, support, SOs,
integrators, IoT platforms
Technical level: Intermediate
Format: 40 mins presentation + 15 mins
Q&A session
Speaker: Pavel Sodomka, CEO at Simple
Hardware

3. Background - Pavel Sodomka
★ Done planning for 5 countries
★ Negotiated Sigfox coverage commitments for a few :)
★ Managed deployment in the first country in the world meeting Sigfox Coverage
commitment
★ The one behind simplecell.eu/coverage
★ The one behind CheckFox and its dashboard
★ Involved in hundreds of Sigfox pilots and field deployments since 5 years

4. Documents for download
Sigfox Coverage
Sigfox Coverage Measurement Methodology with the CheckFox

5. What is unique about Sigfox
★ Connectionless network
★ Probabilistic network based on 3 so called diversities
○ Time
○ Space
○ Frequency
★ Managed network
★ Coverage built up to certain standards worldwide
★ Operating at the edge of possible with little space of error

6. Current situation
Sigfox is an IoT network with the
highest worldwide coverage, being
present in more than 60 countries
worldwide.with already more than
21 countries/territories covered
nationwide.

8. What equipment is available
Macro/mini access
stations for Sigfox
operators
Micro Acces Station
Repeater

9. Macro Mini Micro Repeater
Price (approximate) n/a n/a 250 - 400 Euro 50 Euro
Deployed By SO By SO By SO or customer,
managed by SO
By customer
Scalability (ability to process many devices
simultaneously)
Very high Middle Low Very low (one device
simultaneously,up to 15
total)
Ability to process downlinks Yes Yes Yes No
Selectivity (ability to process signals in
noisy/town environment)
Very good Average Average n/a
Sensitivity (ability to receive weak signals) Very good Average Average n/a
Using external antenna Yes Yes No No
Needs outdoor Sigfox coverage at
installation place
No No No Yes
Indoor and outdoor installation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Typical outdoor reach 50 km 10 km 1 km 0,3 km
Typical indoor reach n/a n/a 100 m 50 m

10. What are coverage maps
All the models of coverage are calculated as outdoor coverage at 1,5m height above ground.Indoor and
deep indoor coverage is mathematically calculated as places requiring 20 dBm resp. 30 dBm margins -
their signal attenuation.
Outdoor - 0 dBm
1,5 m above ground, 1 m from any wall
Indoor - 20 dBm
generally defined as rooms above ground with windows.
Deep indoor - 30 dBm
defined as either underground with window or above ground without window.
Please be aware that modern office buildings with metallic facades and windows act as Faraday cages
and may require densification.
Importance of redundancy

11. What influences coverage predictions
Distance
Terrain
Clutter
Sigfox operators work additionally with Population density that is super critical in
calculating coverage commitments and Population covered but has NO influence on
customers

12. Coverage commitments
➔ Are unique for each Sigfox operator and evolved in time
➔ Some make sense others don't
➔ The only common long term commitment seems to be 85 percent indoor
population coverage
➔ What is mostly missing and is critical for tracking use cases is coverage of
highways, transit railway line, ports and international crossing
Plus super deep redundant indoor coverage of airports

13. What coverage you should get and ask for worldwide
Worldwide:
➔ All major cities, ports, airports full deep indoor redundant.
In Europe:
➔ all towns and villages above 4000 people should have full indoor coverage
➔ towns of 10 000 up this coverage should be redundant
➔ all international highways, ports, border crossings should have indoor coverage
➔ over 90 percent of the country should have outdoor coverage

14. Is Sigfox coverage usable for my project ? 1/3
Do a complete Discovery and project definition first.
What, at what cost, at what reliability, where you want to achieve….
Business case MUST be the driving force NOT the technology.
Sigfox is targeting only 7 percent of the market.
For some of the use cases LoRa, NB-IoT, GSM, Bluetooth or WiFi can be far better
than Sigfox.

15. Is Sigfox coverage usable for my project ? 2/3
Is it one country ?
Submit all your locations to Sigfox Operator and they will return the level of
coverage. After that it is your mastery of negotiation. If not content with
coverage try to talk to Sigfox country manager. Keep in mind that it need to
make sense for all sides, so don't force the Operator to cover a village of 200
people in valley. Use your own micro Access station or repeater.
You can also offer your locations for Sigfox operator installations so it can be a
win win situation for all sides.

16. Is Sigfox coverage usable for my project ? 3/3
Multiple countries and not millions of devices.
Here the situation is more complicated. Sigfox should enforce proper coverage and
help in projects but it works case by case.
The rules of rent/sales for Micro Base Stations differ country by country, the attitude
of Sigfox operators differ country by country…
Be persistent, patient. Raise the issue not only with Sigfox operators but with
Country managers and if not successful escalate to regional or superregional Sigfox
managers.

17. How to measure Sigfox coverage
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i1WBlnIm_n1ApQsaVRaKTEInQ1GHgW-
hPbeXDIOjDPw/edit#heading=h.lbpe1yvyl5fz
A. Does the predicted coverage match the actual coverage?
B. Will a reference device work at the installation spot?
C. What is the attenuation between reference measurement and final destination?
D. What is the reliability of the reception over time?
E. Does my HW device work as well as the reference device?
→ Always take photos
→ Always follow some methodology

18. Role of devices and its placement
Device emission classes Are they relevant ?
Placement of devices

19. Now it is time for your questions!

20. Register for more:
Webinar with WND Mexico: The power of simplicity: 10 use cases to solve with one device
24 October, Thursday, 10 AM, UTC-5
Webinar #4: IOFrog - probably the best IoT platform for Sigfox
30 October, Wednesday, 2PM, UTC+2
Webinar #5: Ingredients of successful IoT project delivery - from Pilot to Final project
13 November, Wednesday, 2PM, UTC+2
Webinar #6: Is your cheese at correct temperature? Advantages of Sigfox based cold chain monitoring.
27 November, Wednesday, 2PM, UTC+2
REGISTER FOR ALL WEBINARS HERE

21. Thank you for your time!
Pre-order our SimplePack WiFi Monarch Tracker
Buy it here