Acklio: linking connected objects to the Internet

How many will there be in 2020? 2 billion? 30 billion? Maybe even 80 billion? While estimates of the number of connected objects in the next 5 years vary from one to forty-fold, depending on the consultancy or think-tank considered, one thing is certain: the order of magnitude will be in the range of numbers with 9 zeros or more. So many communications will be needed to link these objects to the Internet, in order to exchange data with the cloud, our mailboxes or our smartphone applications.

However, a connected object is not like a computer: it is not connected to optical fiber, and few use WiFi to communicate. The Internet of Things (IoT) relies on specific radio networks known as LPWANs - the best-known of which are the LoRa and Sigfox networks. One of the major challenges of IoT deployment is to ensure fast, efficient data transfer between LPWAN networks and the Internet. This is the role of start-up Acklio, founded by two IMT Atlantique researchers: Laurent Toutain and Alexander Pelov.

The latter explains the interest shown by industry in LPWAN networks: "Today, with 3 AAA batteries, it is possible to power a connected gas meter for 20 years, transmitting one message per day. These networks are therefore very energy-efficient, and help reduce the cost of communications. Geolocation tracking of objects, animals and people, but also logistics or warning systems... all sectors that want to use connected objects will therefore resort to them.

For Alexander Pelov, however, this poses a problem: "Depending on whether you choose LoRa or Sigfox technology to set up an LPWAN network dedicated to connected objects, the approach will be different. Developers won't work in exactly the same way, for example. So it's impossible to scale up in terms of infrastructure or environment for the deployment of multiple connected objects. And it's equally difficult to ensure smooth data transfer between LPWANs and the Internet if each network is different. In other words: a serious brake on IoT development.

To overcome this barrier, the Acklio team is integrating the basic LPWAN protocols into standard Internet protocols - such as IPv6. Alexander Pelov sums up his start-up 's approach as follows: "We define a generic architecture, which we add to the server that manages the connected objects. Then, we pass messages from these objects to the Internet and vice versa via this architecture." Acklio's technological brick thus acts as an intermediary in the transmission of data from one environment to another.

It is based on the principle of data compression and fragmentation. The technology's role is initially to compress the head of data packets via a mechanism known as SCHC - for static context header compression. This is a necessary step in bringing Internet connectivity to the LPWAN network. Because compression is sometimes impossible, or produces data packets that are still too large for the LPWAN network, Acklio also enables IPv6 data packets to be fragmented. Thanks to this two-in-one technology, developers can work without worrying about the LPWAN technology used for the IoT application they're working on.

Acklio, a player in IoT standardization

The young start-up 's work is so promising that it has been commissioned to coordinate standardization work on connectivity between LPWAN networks and the Internet. Acklio leads a working group of the IETF - an organization heavily involved in Internet standards development - which brings together the IEEE, the 3GPP cooperation for telecommunications standards in Europe, and alliances for the standardization of LoRa and Sigfox technologies (including Bouygues Telecom and Orange for the LoRa Alliance).

In all, over 200 manufacturers are represented in the IETF, not counting academic institutions. "It's a forum where researchers and engineers can talk about operational needs, technical constraints and scientific issues without being in a business lobby," testifies Marianne Laurent, the start-up's marketing manager. In 2018, the IETF recognized Acklio's technology as a standard. Synonymous with the success and quality of the start-up's work, this news also means an opening up of the technology and therefore of the competition for the young start-up.

However, Acklio will be able to count on its lead in the development of its compression-fragmentation technique. For the time being, it is still alone, and will enter the market with two products that it will present in Las Vegas next January at CES 2019. This may be the opportunity to continue a series of awards launched in 2016 with an honorary loan from the Fondation Mines-Télécom, which culminated in last March's Best Telecommunication Innovation Award at Mobile World Congress 2018. The American event will also be an opportunity to find new customers. Acklio is well on the way to becoming a fine example of researchers' success in the entrepreneurial world, and of the direct valorization of fundamental telecommunications research.

LPWANs: networks for connected objects

Alexander Pelov illustrates the performance of LPWAN networks through a use case conducted with the city of Rennes to control the electricity grid: "With just two LWPAN terminals, it is possible to cover 95% of the Rennes conurbation." Of course, this performance comes with a downside: networks are slow, and only a few messages a day can be sent by objects connected to them. In this case, the two terminals handle daily traffic of around a hundred 12-byte messages. But sensors don't generally need to send a lot of information to the server, nor do they need to do so quickly. This is why long-range networks are already the basis for communications between connected objects.