The 5G alternative. How Ukraine can build a modern network while saving money

Communication Technologies for the Internet of Things Are Already Available.

Smart homes and cities, disaster prediction — much can be done without waiting for 5G to arrive.

In the public mind, 5G is often seen as a symbolic concept — a kind of concentrate of new technologies. Experts cautiously predict the deployment of this generation of connectivity in Ukraine within the next five years. Meanwhile, 4G mobile internet speeds are generally sufficient to meet most needs, including basic tasks like video streaming and online gaming.

It’s important to understand that 5G is not just another step in the evolution of mobile standards (3G, 4G, 5G), but a qualitative leap. Implementing 5G is significantly more expensive than 3G/4G. For mobile operators in Ukraine, investing in 5G is economically unfeasible due to some of the world’s lowest telecom tariffs. Furthermore, mass-market use cases for 5G, such as autonomous vehicle control systems, are still missing.

Beyond new possibilities for everyday users, the rollout of 5G is expected to trigger explosive growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) and, specifically, smart city technologies. IoT is a popular topic among anyone interested in tech innovation. The assumption is that 5G will enable communication between vast numbers of smart devices.

However, many features of 5G, especially regarding LPWAN (Low-power Wide-area Network), can be excessive, uneconomical, or simply unsuitable. It’s not the most energy-efficient technology and is only available through mobile operators, limiting user freedom — such as building private local infrastructure — which is crucial for smart city devices and industrial automation.

The solution for many applications has been the open LoRaWAN protocol, based on the highly effective LoRa modulation.

What Is LoRaWAN Technology?

To put it simply, LoRaWAN wireless communication technology is like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but with coverage of up to 10+ kilometers and exceptional energy efficiency. Another key difference from these technologies — and especially from 5G — is that LoRaWAN allows users to build private “local” networks for IoT needs or use LoRaWAN services from providers. It also supports local message exchange between devices over the radio channel.

A typical LoRaWAN use case is a battery-powered wireless device that can operate autonomously for years — up to 10 in some cases.

LoRaWAN can be used for monitoring smart power grids, transportation and cargo tracking, industrial equipment monitoring, utility metering, smart parking, intelligent street lighting systems, automated agricultural data collection, and many other areas.

For example, water and electricity consumption monitoring does not require high data throughput. Smart meters in homes and various sensors on city streets only need to transmit small data packets once or twice a day.

LoRaWAN solutions are already available, with numerous global success stories proving the maturity and reliability of the technology. About 40 operators in over 250 cities across dozens of countries offer LoRaWAN connectivity services.

Business Perspective

A client wants a solution that fits their budget. They want a smart parking system, not a “5G smart parking” system. They want to know if there’s a leak in their house, not just a 5G sensor that detects leaks. LoRaWAN is perfect for these use cases.

Signal penetration through walls and obstacles degrades at higher frequencies used by 5G. LoRa offers significantly better building penetration.

The final 5G standard is yet to be officially ratified. The 3GPP consortium, which oversees global 5G rollout, aimed to finish specifications by the end of 2019. The target year for commercial deployment of IoT networks was set for 2020 by the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance.

Real-World Examples of LoRaWAN

Smart City (Amsterdam)
Amsterdam (219 km²) deployed 10 base stations for just $12,000. Sensors in garbage bins alert municipal services when waste needs collection, optimizing services. Drivers receive real-time parking and EV charging updates. Smoke detectors in smart homes notify owners via smartphone or even automatically call emergency services.

Environmental Monitoring (Glasgow)
Glasgow reduced emissions with sensors tracking environmental pollution. Mobile LoRaWAN stations complemented costly permanent monitoring setups, allowing rapid deployment in key areas to detect pollution hotspots.

Supply Chain Optimization (Binary Beer)
Smart beer kegs monitor quantity and quality, measuring fill level and environmental factors like humidity and temperature. This helps restaurants reorder proactively and avoid spoilage.

Disaster Forecasting (Przemyśl, Poland)
Water level sensors using LoRaWAN were installed on the San River. Authorities receive real-time data for accurate flood forecasting based on water level and soil moisture.

Agricultural Savings
Agriculture accounts for ~17% of Ukraine’s GDP and is becoming an economic driver.
Abroad, companies like Senet and Sensoterra partnered to manage soil moisture using LoRaWAN. Previously, wired sensors made this costly. Now, real-time data helps optimize water use. A free app supports smartphones, laptops, and tablets.