Selection of protocols for data transmission from internet of things devices to cloud providers

The Internet of Things (IoT) enables the creation of networks between devices, people, applications, and the Internet, creating new ecosystems with higher productivity, better energy efficiency, and higher profitability. Nodes in these networks must have the ability to communicate and exchange data, which requires the use of data transfer protocols. However, choosing the right protocol for a specific use case is not always straightforward. This paper provides an overview of two existing data transfer protocols, MQTT and HTTP, compares the amount of tariffed traffic generated by each protocol, and evaluates the efficiency of protocol costs. The research showed that in comparison to AWS IoT Core, GCP IoT Core is more expensive for all evaluated scenarios and is not recommended for use. For scenarios with frequent data transfer, the best solution is to use the MQTT bridge provided by AWS IoT Core. If the number of connected devices exceeds 10 million with a high frequency of data transmission every 1 minute, it is advisable to consider using a standalone MQTT broker or another TCP-based protocol such as CoAP. In the case of less frequent data transmission (every 10 minutes or less), an HTTP bridge may be a solution for up to 100 million devices. As a result of the research, a decision tree was created to select the best protocol for specific use cases.