The LoRa Alliance has announced that public LoRaWAN networks have grown by 66 percent over the past three years.
LoRaWAN is an open standard for IoT low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs). The LoRa Alliance has more than 500 members – including the likes of IBM, Cisco, HP, Foxconn, Semtech, Bosch, and Schneider – and has promoted the expansion of the LoRaWAN ecosystem since 2015.
Deployments of LPWAN networks have been traditionally driven by mobile network operators. However, the LoRa Alliance notes that much of the recent growth “has been enabled largely by non-MNOs that are building critical dedicated infrastructure to support the expanding needs of LPWAN IoT.”
Recent investments by satellite and community LoRaWAN network providers have further increased coverage.
Donna Moore, CEO and Chairwoman of the LoRa Alliance, said:
“LoRaWAN network operators are building new types of infrastructure to meet future IoT networking requirements.
This evolution in the types of networks and network providers is expected—and a sign of a healthy and vibrant market. These new network players are nimble, agile and able to grow beyond the constraints of preexisting network infrastructure. They are successfully building profitable business models to maximize the value of their LoRaWAN networks and meet the evolving needs of LPWAN IoT deployments.
LoRaWAN is the only LPWAN providing a choice of network types, along with interoperability and roaming between networks, that will continue to drive strong growth in LoRaWAN network capacity.”
The LoRa Alliance sees the growth in diversity of LoRaWAN networks – including public, community, satellite, and private, as well as hybrid network approaches – as a key differentiator.
“The installed base of LPWAN devices will exceed 2 billion units in 2025,” commented Steve Hoffenberg, Director and Industry Analyst at market research firm VDC Research.
“With LoRaWAN’s low-cost gateways, ready adaptability to both public and private networks, and satellite capability, it is uniquely positioned to bring connectivity to the widest range of devices and places, helping to drive the market growth of LPWANs.”
(Photo by Jungwoo Hong on Unsplash)
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