How mioty Ensures Reliable IoT Data Transmission — Even in Challenging Signal Environments

The number of connected IoT devices is growing. How can you ensure secure, efficient, and scalable wireless data transmission in projects, especially in infrastructures where billions of devices generate high network traffic? Unstable connections, data loss, and overloaded systems pose risks to critical IoT applications.
That’s why today, we’re diving into IoT connectivity use cases with a focus on mioty—a cutting-edge Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology developed by Fraunhofer IIS. Its unique transmission method makes mioty stand out.
I’m curious to learn more: What is this method, and why is it a game changer for industrial IoT? What real-world use cases are companies already implementing? And what are the biggest pitfalls in wireless data transmission?
For this discussion, I’d like to welcome Annalena Zottmann, Business Development Manager at Diehl Metering, and Peter Hedberg, General Manager of the mioty alliance.
Let’s get started! Find all insights and resources at iotusecase.com. Let’s go!

Hi Peter and Annalena, great to have you here! Peter, how are you today, and where are you at the moment?

Peter

Thank you, Madeleine, for having me and us on board. I’m fine. I’m working from my home in Lund, Sweden, where I usually work when I’m not traveling.

Greetings to everyone listening from Sweden! It’s great to have you here. Annalena, where are you, and how are you today?

Annalena

Hello, and thank you for having me. I’m near Nuremberg, working from my home in a small village surrounded by forests.

Nice! Let’s start with a short introduction to understand why you’re here today. Annalena, could you begin by telling us about your background? What do you do, and what is your role at Diehl Metering?

Annalena

My name is Annalena Zottmann. I’ve been working in Business Development and Partners Manager at Diehl Metering for about five years, focusing on IoT topics—business model creation and market potential analysis. In addition, I’m vice chairman of the Business Development and Marketing Committee of the mioty alliance.

Nice. Peter, could you share some insights about yourself, your role, and how you work together?

Peter

I’m the General Manager of the mioty alliance. My role is to lead our members and partners towards our goal of establishing mioty as a globally accepted standard for wireless communication. Annalena plays a key role in supporting these efforts, particularly in marketing and promotion. I’m really grateful to have her on board—she’s full of energy, great ideas, and brings extensive knowledge to the mioty alliance.

Very nice. You mentioned the mioty alliance as an organization, but there’s also a technology and standard behind it. We’ll learn more about that and the use cases it enables. But first, let’s talk about the bigger picture. We live in a world where massive amounts of data are generated across various infrastructures. I recently did an episode with IoT Analytics, our partner, and they reported that the number of connected IoT devices has grown by 13% to a total of 80.8 billion devices worldwide—an enormous number. So why is it important to discuss these technologies now, and why are Low Power Wide Area Network technologies particularly relevant?

Peter

As you said, IoT and smart solutions have been growing steadily, with device numbers increasing every year. LPWAN is still a relatively small segment of the IoT market, but it’s crucial. Over the past five years, LPWAN has proven its value. It transmits small data points, but these can be highly significant. Annalena will share more on how Diehl Metering sees this. With more connected devices and wireless communication increasing, bandwidth is becoming a limited resource. If too many devices operate on the same frequencies, congestion becomes an issue. That’s where mioty comes in—with smart, efficient technology to address these challenges.

Right. Annalena, you have a dual role, and Diehl Metering is a leading company in smart metering solutions. Could you share some examples of use cases from Diehl Metering and the new challenges arising in this field?

Annalena

Of course. The answer isn’t simple. In the past, especially for utilities—our main customers—data was primarily used to optimize billing processes. However, times are changing. Sustainability is becoming a major focus due to issues like water scarcity and the need for greater energy efficiency. As a result, data is becoming more valuable.
This is why Low Power Wide Area Network technologies like mioty are increasingly important for utilities and, more broadly, for businesses and society. Efficient data handling requires a communication technology that minimizes data loss while conserving bandwidth and energy. If a technology consumes too much battery power, it contradicts sustainability goals by reducing battery lifespan and increasing waste.
This presents a classic chicken-and-egg problem. For metering, mioty is the most future-proof IoT or LPWAN technology in our portfolio because it effectively addresses these challenges.

Do you have some examples to help me understand this better in a practical way? What kind of use cases can this technology solve, and where is it most relevant?

Peter

Sure. First, let’s set the boundaries—like all LPWAN technologies, mioty doesn’t transmit large amounts of data. It handles small data points, with a message size of up to 250 bytes.
For example, in water metering, Diehl Metering typically needs around 100 bytes to transfer all relevant data, allowing room for additional data points in one message. Keeping this in mind, typical applications include smart city solutions—monitoring gas and water meters, air quality, indoor temperatures, parking sensors, and smart waste management. There’s a wide range of relevant use cases.

So these use cases aren’t focused on real-time, high-frequency data. Instead, it’s about transmitting data at specific intervals, like once per minute. For example, in silo applications or other simple use cases, the key is transmitting data efficiently. But we’re not talking about real-time data, right?

Peter

No, but you can achieve very low latency. For example, if you need to send an alarm, mioty enables immediate message transmission. One of our mioty alliance members, Swissphone, develops safety solutions, including those for lone workers.
Imagine workers in a chemical plant performing maintenance when a gas leak occurs. They need an instant warning to evacuate. With mioty, an alarm can be triggered at the push of a button and sent out immediately. It also works the other way around—if a worker is injured, they can send an emergency signal to the dispatch center.
While almost real-time applications are possible with LPWAN, most use cases, as you described, Madeleine, involve continuous data collection. Often, data is only transmitted when a threshold is exceeded, such as a temperature limit. The system isn’t constantly online, as that would contradict the concept of low-power wide-area networks.

Can you describe the technical challenges customers face in transmitting data correctly, given the many technologies available on the market? Also, you mentioned telegram splitting—could you explain why it’s important and what makes your technology unique?

Peter

Telegram splitting is at the core of mioty’s technology and sets it apart. Traditionally, a data point—whether it’s temperature, GPS position, or another measurement—is packed into a single message and transmitted. Since LPWAN operates on open frequency bands with significant noise and interference from other devices, there’s always a risk that the message gets partially or fully corrupted before reaching the gateway.
With mioty, the data is split into multiple sub-packets, which are then transmitted with slight time and frequency shifts. This swarm of sub-packets travels through the air, and while some may be lost due to interference, enough will reach the gateway to reconstruct the full message.
We can lose up to 50% of these sub-packets and still recover the data completely—this is what sets it apart from other technologies.

That’s an important takeaway. There’s a massive amount of data and a lot of noise in different infrastructures. So understanding how to transmit data efficiently in these environments is crucial.

Peter

Yes, exactly. Annalena has some great examples from Diehl Metering, as they work with multiple wireless technologies. Their real-world tests and comparisons highlight the differences.

Annalena

Sure. One of our most significant examples is a pit installation readout test we conducted one to two years ago in Prague.
We installed a multi-protocol gateway that supports OMS, LoRa, and mioty on a single antenna slot, ensuring a fair comparison without signal reception shifts due to different antenna settings. We equipped water meters with receiver modules—one using mioty and one using LoRa—and placed them in various pit installations.
In water metering, pits refer to underground boxes with concrete walls and metal covers—essentially the worst-case scenario for wireless communication. The results were striking: mioty successfully received data from water meters up to two kilometers away, while LoRa stopped at just 200 meters.
For utilities, this has major implications. Deploying a citywide LoRa network would require significant network densification with additional gateways to ensure coverage. With mioty, you build the network once and don’t need to keep adding gateways, making it a truly future-proof technology—not only in terms of reliable data transmission but also as a long-term investment. Once deployed, there’s no need for ongoing infrastructure expansion.

You mentioned the investment aspect, which is a major concern for many customers. Some have built networks with different technologies, so it’s valuable to learn that mioty not only performs better in field tests but is also scalable for various use cases.
Does mioty work better with specific types of devices, or is it universally applicable? Do you see certain limitations?

Annalena

Let’s put it this way: if you have a small proof of concept (PoC), you might choose from various technologies. But if you plan to scale, selecting the right technology is crucial. It depends on your long-term vision and the number of sensors you expect to deploy.
In water and energy metering, we always deal with large-scale sensor networks—thousands of devices in a specific area. In industrial settings, companies might start with just a few sensors—below ten, then scale up to hundreds or thousands. At some point, challenges like signal reflections and interference arise.
That’s why it’s important to choose a technology that is truly future-proof.

Right. You also mentioned Fraunhofer earlier. Can you explain their role in this and why they are involved in developing this standard?

Peter

Fraunhofer invented mioty and holds the key patents, though some others have patents as well. The development was led by Fraunhofer IIS (Institute for Integrated Circuits). Their goal is to ensure mioty is commercialized effectively. That’s where the mioty alliance comes in—as the vehicle to bring this technology to the market.

I see. Many listeners are curious about setting up IoT projects correctly. If a company wants to set up a use case with mioty, what does the full solution look like? How is the technology integrated into different devices?

Peter

The first question is whether you want to build a solution from scratch. On the mioty alliance website for developers, you can find instructions on recommended hardware and access software on GitHub.
Another option is to use evaluation kits, which include a gateway, sensor nodes, and backend connectivity, allowing you to test mioty in your own environment. Even though mioty is still a young technology, its ecosystem is growing rapidly. Making it easy for companies to try out is a key focus.
However, testing can be misleading. If you compare mioty with LoRa or Sigfox by setting up a few sensors in a backyard, all technologies may appear to work similarly. The real difference emerges when scaling up.
Initially, with 10 or even 100 devices, other technologies may still function well. But as you continue deploying more devices, limitations become apparent—except with mioty. Other systems require network densification, forcing you into an endless cycle of adding more gateways. That’s where mioty’s scalability makes a real difference.

Great! I’ll include the link in the show notes, so anyone interested can explore how others are implementing this technology.
Before we wrap up, I always like to share best practices. Annalena, do you have any insights from the metering sector? What should companies keep in mind when setting up similar projects?

Annalena

One of my favorite projects is with N-ERGIE, a local utility in Nuremberg. They faced challenges with their existing network setup, as they weren’t receiving signals as expected.
Their solution was to install a multi-protocol gateway, allowing them to keep their existing sensors while integrating mioty in parallel. For future installations, they decided to use mioty, while older LoRa-based sensors remain in place until they need replacement.
For companies with existing infrastructure, I wouldn’t recommend replacing everything immediately. Instead, a multi-protocol approach ensures future-proofing. As data transmission needs grow—especially with AI and edge computing—we need communication technologies capable of handling these demands.
Having Fraunhofer on board is a major advantage. As an innovation driver, they continuously enhance mioty, ensuring it evolves with future developments like satellite IoT and AI-driven applications.

It’s great to see that this technology is scalable. We’ve learned about its robustness, the impact of telegram splitting, and its role as a strong industry standard.
By the way, mioty is also a European standard, right?

Annalena

Yes, it’s German-based and part of the European standard landscape.

Right, that makes sense with Fraunhofer’s background. Peter, do you have any more real-world examples from your network? Some listeners might be interested in joining as partners in the mioty alliance.

Peter

mioty is especially valuable in large-scale installations. We have several ongoing projects, not just in metering but also in smart buildings and smart cities, where scalability is key.
One of our founding members, ifm, is launching a series of industrial products. mioty is on its way to being integrated with IO-Link, the standard for industrial sensors. This will open up new opportunities.
There’s already an active use case with Ford, where mioty ensures secure and reliable data transmission in car manufacturing.
Another interesting example comes from Olympus, a major medical device manufacturer and a mioty alliance member. They develop advanced surgical equipment and need to collect data to ensure proper usage. The challenge? Operating theaters are lined with lead walls, making wireless transmission nearly impossible. They tested various technologies without success—until they tried mioty. While I don’t have the latest update, they see this as a breakthrough for solving a major industry challenge.

Very cool! It’s great to see so many real-world applications. And stay tuned for more updates with ifm—we’ll be covering new developments in an upcoming special episode of this podcast.
Final question for today: We touched on satellite IoT and future innovations. Where do you see the future of mioty and LPWAN technologies? Annalena, you already mentioned some trends—do you have any additional insights on what’s next?

Annalena

As I mentioned earlier, various trends are shaping the IoT world. One of the biggest is AI—both at the edge and in software applications. There’s continuous development in this field.
Beyond that, mioty is already being used in satellite IoT. Research projects are ongoing, for example, in Africa, where mioty helps protect wildlife. Another area of ongoing research is indoor positioning with mioty. Fraunhofer is actively working on this. Peter, do you have anything to add?

Peter

It’s not just indoor positioning—mioty also enables outdoor positioning. Thanks to its robust transmission method, it offers significantly higher precision.
I worked with Sigfox for many years, where positioning is based on direct network triangulation, but its accuracy is limited to several kilometers. In some cases, you might narrow it down to a few hundred meters, but that’s rare.
With mioty, initial tests show positioning accuracy down to 50 meters or even 10 meters. This unlocks entirely new use cases. Take water meters, for example. If you deploy 50 meters in a large building and one has an issue, locating the exact faulty meter can be challenging. With mioty’s precise positioning, you can pinpoint the correct meter within a few meters.

Right, great examples! Looking ahead to AI—do you see any future use cases where AI and mioty could work together? Any sneak previews on what’s coming?

Peter

Ask ChatGPT and see what it says.
One thing we clearly see—though not directly tied to AI itself—is an important effect of it. I posed a question at a Wireless Congress a few months ago, both to ChatGPT and Copilot. I asked about the main challenges for wireless technologies in the future. Both provided the same answer: spectrum scarcity.
As the number of wireless devices increases and they transmit more and more data, radio frequency bands—being a limited resource—will become increasingly congested. Without highly efficient technologies, we risk overwhelming these bands, causing congestions.
mioty is exceptionally efficient compared to other technologies. It allows for hundreds or even thousands more devices in the same area without congesting the spectrum.

Thanks for this future outlook and for sharing real-world examples. This ties in perfectly with how we started the episode—discussing the massive amount of data being generated and the need for efficient transmission.
I really appreciate these insights and the opportunity to learn more about mioty and its advantages. I have so many more questions, but for today, I’ll wrap up by saying thank you for your time and insights.
I look forward to a follow-up episode! I’ll also include your contact details in the show notes—so if anyone has questions, feel free to reach out to Annalena and Peter.
Thanks again for joining the podcast today!

Annalena

Thank you for having us!

Peter

Thank you, Madeleine.

Thank you! Have a great day. Bye-bye!