What is LoRaWAN and How is it Used in IoT Solutions?

Traditionally, Wi-Fi has been the primary mode of connectivity for organisations. Wi-Fi technology is run by radio signals that are sent from a nearby wireless router. However, with cellular connectivity on the rise, the switch to cellular is becoming more standard for several key reasons. Cellular connectivity can increase security and provide greater reliability, as well as overall cost savings.

Attaining cellular connectivity that provides your business with fast and resilient results can make all the difference – and LoRaWAN is one solution that can make it possible. According to a study published by Statista, the amount of LoRa connections is projected to reach nearly 730 million connections by 2023 – up from the projected 470 million connections in 2022.

What is LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN stands for low range, wide area network and is essentially a long-range, low-power wireless platform that supports the Internet of Things (IoT). For businesses looking to utilise long-range connectivity, LoRaWAN may be a suitable option. This kind of technology can aid massive ecosystems for IoT, and it’s deployed by public, private, or hybrid networks, making it all the more flexible.

LoRaWAN in Private vs. Public Networks

LoRaWAN provides flexible network infrastructure, with a private network consisting of a single application and a public network consisting of multiple. Private LoRaWAN networks allow customers to deploy their own access, while public LoRaWAN networks require the customer to pay a network operator to connect gateways. Some use cases for public LoRaWAN include:

• Smart Cities - Rapidly growing urban cities rely on IoT capabilities to support all constituents. LoRaWAN aids in waste management, parking meters, streetlights, traffic lights, and more.
• Agriculture – With reliability in rural areas, LoRaWAN supports crop production measurement, cattle tracking, and utilization of productivity for business operations.

In contrast with public networks, private LoRaWAN require a single application for deployment. Some advantages include:

• Low batter consumption
• Cost effective connectivity
• Improved network control & security

Benefits of LoRaWAN for Your Deployments

The benefits of cellular connectivity prove to enhance productivity and operational success. One of the best benefits of LoRaWAN is the low-cost connectivity for greater, expanded coverage where speed and latency are not obstacles.

The best use cases for LoRaWAN involve rural or indoor settings and single-building applications due to the narrowband that LoRaWAN provides. Overall, LoRaWAN provides low range, low power, low-cost connectivity and security for exceptional results for your devices and networks.

Best Use Cases for LoRaWAN

Improved bandwidth and lower complexity for LoRaWAN leverages solutions in various industries including fleet, supply chain and logistics, agriculture, smart cities, and more. Some of the best use cases for LoRaWAN include:

• Agriculture – With reliability in rural areas, LoRaWAN supports crop production measurement, cattle tracking, and utilisation of productivity for business operations.
• Smart Cities - Rapidly growing urban cities rely on IoT capabilities to support all constituents. LoRaWAN aids in waste management, parking meters, streetlights, traffic lights, and more.
• Connected Health – LoRaWAN’s reliable performance makes applications such as remote patient monitoring (RPM) suitable for healthcare professionals and patients alike.
• Fleet – Optimising fleet and supply chain solutions can create improved production operations, facilitates safer driving, and increases visibility. LoRaWAN supports optimised battery life and network-based locations at a low cost.

Achieve IoT Connectivity with KORE

Cellular connectivity should not be unreliable or unavailable. We offer a full suite of solutions to effectively monitor LoRaWAN device deployments. KORE’s LoRa platform, KORA, is a streamlined platform that helps manage your deployments across multiple networks and providers – it does it all.

To learn more about LoRaWAN connectivity and KORE’s offerings, download our datasheet, “KORE LoRaWAN Connectivity as a Service”.