As smart cities continue to develop, long range wide area network (LoRaWAN) will play a critical role in how internet of things (IoT) applications is adopted.
According to new data from Beecham Research, LoRaWAN is emerging as an effective connectivity platform for expanding smart city applications because the technology is complementary to existing networks and offers flexible deployment of both public and private networks.
“As municipalities continue to explore digital transformation strategies, LoRaWAN is becoming an essential component in the evolution of smarter urban environments,” said Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO and chief analyst of Beecham Research. “This report seeks to provide clear insights for city planners, technology providers and policymakers on the increasingly broad range of areas where LoRaWAN is already being used in urban environments in all regions worldwide. The potential is very large.”
Four ways
According to Beecham Research, LoRaWAN is significant for smart cities in the IoT sector in four ways.
First, LoRaWAN technology features long-range connectivity, which penetrates urban and deep indoor environments. LoRaWAN can connect devices up to 30 miles apart in rural areas.
Second, LoRaWAN requires minimal energy and has a prolonged battery lifetime of up to 10 years. This minimizes the costs for replacements in these networks.
Third, LoRaWAN reduces infrastructure investment and other operating expenses like battery replacement.
Finally, it is an internationally recognized standard for device interoperability and has been adopted globally, Beecham said.
“Rising demand for smart city solutions is being driven by urbanization and the necessity for sustainable development,” said Alper Yegin, CEO of the LoRa Alliance. “As cities encounter challenges such as pollution, traffic congestion, waste management and energy efficiency, the adoption of IoT technologies powered by LoRaWAN can facilitate improved resource management and enhance the quality of life for residents.”
1 million sensors
Meanwhile, Swedish LoRaWAN operator Netmore Group has acquired the assets and operations of Everynet, a LoRaWAN operator from The Netherlands.
Under the deal, Netmore’s direct presence will grow to 17 countries with more than 1 million provisioned sensors spanning a range of use cases including:
- 400,000 track-and-trace devices
- 300,000 smart gas meters
- 200,000 smart water meters
- Multiple additional LoRaWAN use cases
The acquisition will bring Netmore’s total active devices to more than 2.3 million. Additionally, it will allow the company to expand to Latin America and the Asia Pacific regions.
