The LoRa Alliance has unveiled a roadmap for the development of LoRaWAN, and the success of the standard guides its future development and direction

”

The robust and high-capacity LoRaWAN open standard continues to innovate and has enabled the largest number of global LPWAN deployments in terrestrial and non-terrestrial deployed networks (NTNs).

The LoRa Alliance ®, the global enterprise association dedicated to promoting the open LoRaWAN® standard for Internet of Things (IoT) Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs), today unveiled its official roadmap, highlighting the evolution of LoRaWAN from building and interconnecting networks to focusing on making the technology faster and easier to deploy, making LoRaWAN the leading LPWAN with the most deployments, supporting the aggressive expansion of IoT across many end markets. The roadmap also shows the roadmap for the development of the LoRaWAN open standard for IoT communications.

Donna Moore, CEO and President of the LoRa Alliance, said, "LoRaWAN is a network technology specifically designed to support large-scale IoT. LoRa Alliance members have been working diligently and strategically to lay the groundwork for the development of LoRaWAN, enabling the current massive expansion of the Internet of Things. Our technology is not only the best of its kind, proven in multiple multi-million sensor deployments, but also backed by the largest ecosystem that is second to none in the number and diversity of certified devices. In addition, it offers the widest range of deployment options, covering both terrestrial and non-terrestrial satellite networks, including hybrid networks. As a result, it is currently the only LPWAN that can meet the deployment requirements of large-scale, low-power IoT solutions. ”

The roadmap proposes enhancements to several key features in the LoRaWAN standard:

Expand the addressable market

• For example, enhancing LoRaWAN connectivity in non-terrestrial networks by further optimizing long-range frequency hopping spread spectrum (LR-FHSS) to far exceed the expected network capacity requirements of large-scale IoT.

• Improve LoRaWAN signal coverage in noisy or physically challenging environments with hardened relays, allowing sensors to be deployed anywhere.

• The addition of fast, low-power network discovery opens up new deployment options for non-persistent coverage locations such as mobile gateways, supporting slow- or fast-moving applications, adding significant value to key markets such as utilities. LoRaWAN is dominated by the volume of deployments in these markets.

Hyper-scalability

• Simplify deployment by making device profile management and device migration easier.

• Transmit GS1-compliant identifiers such as RFID, barcodes, and electronic product codes (EPCs) via LoRaWAN, allowing LoRaWAN-connected devices to be used for product or asset identification.

• Based on the previous QR code work of the LoRa Alliance, the device configuration file is automatically downloaded (automatically requested from the online repository with standard API) in order to accelerate the onboarding of LoRaWAN end devices.

Core network management

• Enhance device interoperability by standardizing application server and gateway interfaces.

authentication

• Increase customer confidence by adding over-the-air firmware updates and moving to LoRaWAN certification testing, enabling end device manufacturers to validate the performance of these features.

• Add advanced interoperability testing to the LoRaWAN certification test suite to give end users confidence in interoperability across vendor devices. This test will verify that devices from different manufacturers can effectively exchange and utilize each other's information.

Physical/link layer development

• Introduce cryptographic agility to LoRaWAN, making a wide range of current and future cipher suites available as add-ons to the LoRaWAN link layer without the need to upgrade them.

With IoT connections expected to grow from millions to billions in the next few years, network scalability is a key consideration, which has been addressed in the current standard, and gateway capacity is planned to be further upgraded in the future. Smart metering is a key market for LoRaWAN, where LoRaWAN has established a market leader, and current specifications provide ample network capacity to meet market demand. Recognizing that satellites and other non-terrestrial networks will enable the growth of IoT connectivity, the Alliance has developed LR-FHSS for large-scale global LoRaWAN connectivity. As part of its own program roadmap, the LoRa Alliance will continue to strengthen and expand the standard based on market needs and new use cases.

The ZENNER network is an example of LoRaWAN's existing high capacity, with nearly 7.5 million sensors running on more than 100,000 gateways in 15 countries and territories, supporting energy providers, real estate, cities and municipalities, municipal utilities and industrial operations. This example demonstrates how easily the LoRaWAN standard can address today's IoT capacity requirements.

"ZENNER HAS APPLIED THIS PROVEN TECHNOLOGY TO LARGER SCALE DEPLOYMENTS INVOLVING WATER, GAS AND POWER UTILITIES. ZENNER HAS INSTALLED THESE SYSTEMS IN SEVEN COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. THIS YEAR ALONE. LoRaWAN technology makes open standard systems easy to install and reduces costs for customers. In addition, this open standard allows utilities to offer a host of other services to their customers, increasing revenue for both customers and themselves. ZENNER is currently testing LoRaWAN satellite communications to see how it fits into our IoT direction. So far, it has shown great promise and comes at a reasonable cost to customers. We are seeing a lot of interest in LoRaWAN, which will boost our company's growth globally. The LoRa Alliance has a plan to get us to where we are today, and a plan to take us into the future. ZENNER IS A SPONSOR OF THE ALLIANCE AND VALUES OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCE AS WELL. No other organization in our company can help us better in developing an IoT strategy than the LoRa Alliance.

- Rich Sanders, President of ZENNER USA and Treasurer of the LoRa Alliance Board of Directors

"Since its inception, LoRaWAN's technology and performance benefits have been embraced by customers who need a comprehensive solution to deploy and manage sensor-based applications at scale. The continued innovation embodied in the LoRa Alliance's roadmap released today will continue to make the technology an excellent choice for a growing number of use cases, including those that require enhanced or extended connectivity through trunks, mobile gateways, and non-terrestrial networks. For Netmore and its customers around the world, these advantages translate into leadership in service optimization, cost savings, compliance, and resource conservation. Nowhere is this more evident than in the utilities and energy sectors, where metering and infrastructure monitoring solutions are rapidly expanding, network deployment time and costs are decreasing, and compliance and return on investment are accelerating while also making a positive contribution to the planet. Netmore is a strong supporter of the LoRa Alliance and the LoRaWAN ecosystem. With LoRaWAN, Netmore is not only leading the market, but also defining the market. With an unwavering focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship, we are not only a network operator, but also committed to contributing to a greener, more sustainable world. ”

- Ove Anebygd, President of Netmore Group AB and Member of the Board of Directors of the LoRa Alliance

Ms. Moore added, "Whether it's looking to the future of the LoRaWAN standard, or knowing that we're growing on a very broad and solid foundation, it's telling. Time and time again, our members have shared their real-world deployments that have successfully used LoRaWAN at scale, improving the well-being of people and the planet while achieving corporate profitability. This truly exemplifies the current strength, breadth, and depth of the LoRaWAN standard, and as we continue to evolve and enhance its capabilities, LoRaWAN will have unlimited potential. ”

关于慕尼黑LoRaWAN Live

The LoRa Alliance will return to Germany on June 19 and 20 to host LoRaWAN Live in Munich. This activity is great for those who are interested in LoRaWAN or LoRaWAN users. LoRaWAN Live is LoRaWAN's official annual event covering ecosystems from multiple industries around the world, with attendees sharing insights, experiences, and visions with these dynamic and engaged ecosystem members. The content schedule for LoRaWAN Live in Munich includes technical sessions, product and solution markets, keynotes and VIP speakers, live demonstrations focused on various use cases and markets, and plenty of networking and business meeting opportunities.

Click here for more information and to register.

Editors and analysts wishing to participate in LoRaWAN Live in Munich can contact the LoRaWAN Alliance via email [email protected] to make an appointment.

About the LoRa Alliance ®

The LoRa Alliance is an open, not-for-profit association that has become the largest and fastest-growing consortium in the technology sector since its inception in 2015. Its members work closely together and share expertise to develop and promote the LoRaWAN® standard, which has essentially become the global standard for secure connectivity for carrier-grade IoT LPWANs. LoRaWAN is technically flexible enough to meet the needs of a range of fixed and mobile IoT applications, and its robust LoRaWAN certification program ensures that devices operate as required. More than 170 major mobile network operators around the world have deployed the LoRaWAN standard, with connectivity spanning the globe. For more information, please visit: lora-alliance.org