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LoRa Alliance white paper details practical trials and proof-of-concept deployments

November 17, 2020 By Redding Traiger Leave a Comment

Selecting an intelligent multi-radio strategy is becoming increasingly important to succeed in a connected world, as illustrated in a new whitepaper released by the LoRa Alliance and Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). The paper, “Wi-Fi & LoRaWAN Trials – An Overview of Use Cases Across Regions Combining Two Technologies,” provides details on practical trials and proof of concept deployments (POCs), representing a variety of use cases implemented across different geographies and verticals. It builds on the two organizations’ earlier whitepaper, “Wi-Fi & LoRaWAN Deployment Synergies: Expanding Addressable Use Cases for the Internet of Things,” which compared the two technologies theoretically and sought to demonstrate how they could be utilized to effectively support a vast array of use cases.

The POCs explored in this new white paper conclude that hybrid Wi-Fi and LoRaWAN connectivity increases market opportunity, provide a strong ROI, and offer enhanced network solutions. Adding LoRaWAN to Wi-Fi using network mutualization is a cost-effective approach to deployment using the existing base of Wi-Fi access points. This offers a significant opportunity for Wi-Fi providers to expand their addressable businesses on complementary use cases that cover both broadband applications and massive IoT leveraging the license-exempt spectrum.

This work is the result of a collaboration between members of the WBA and the LoRa Alliance. Wi-Fi and LoRaWAN are two of the most widely adopted unlicensed technologies, and together they address a large proportion of current IoT use cases. Both technologies are disrupting private-public business models and enable participation in the 5G ecosystem and developing capabilities for IoT roaming, using OpenRoaming models. 11 companies representing both Alliances from all global regions contributed to this work, including Actility, Abeeway, Boingo Wireless, Charter Communications, Cisco, Kerlink, Lacuna Space, Nesten, Simplycity, Skyhook, and Semtech.

Covered use cases include: Smart Buildings: Multi-Family Dwellings (Boingo Wireless, United States); Smart City: Smart Light Pole (Charter Communications, United States); Smart City: Energy Management and People Attendance Monitoring (Simplycity, Australia); Smart City: Interoperability between Wi-Fi and LoRaWAN at the Network Level (Nesten, Skyhook, United States); Smart Interconnection: OpenRoaming & LoRaWAN (ORL) (Cisco, Switzerland); Smart Retail: Wi-Fi & LoRaWAN In-Store Retail Analytics (Kerlink, Smart Traffik, The Netherlands); Smart Tracking: Tracking with Semtech LoRa Edge and Lacuna Satellites to Resolve Human-Wildlife Conflict (Lacuna Space, IRNAS and Smart Parks, South Africa); Smart Transportation: Asset Tracking for the Automotive Industry (Actility, Abeeway, Volvo, France)

These featured use cases are expected to give existing market players who have deployed both technologies new ideas for how to leverage their networks to support innovative applications. Additionally, network operators, enterprises, or communities that have deployed either Wi-Fi or LoRaWANnetworks are shown ways they might consider extending their offerings by deploying the other complementary technology.

Latest LoRaWAN Regional Parameters includes support for all versions of the Layer 2 specification

November 10, 2020 By Redding Traiger Leave a Comment

The LoRa Alliance announced the release of Regional Parameters RP2-1.0.2, which includes support for all versions of the LoRaWANLayer 2 Specification. Support of LoRaWAN operation in Senegal, Montserrat, Mali, Guinea, Syria, and Vanuatu has been identified, with the RP now supporting more than 200 countries and regions globally.

One major change to the Regional Parameters is the addition of support for new Long Range – Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (LR-FHSS) data rates for the EU868, US915, and AU915 regions. The use of LR-FHSS data rates is optional and so preserves backward compatibility with all previous revisions of the Regional Parameters Specification.

LoRaWAN’s excellent low power consumption is maintained with the LR-FHSS rates, while network capacity is significantly increased in certain scenarios compared to standard data rates, allowing greatly increased scale on the same network footprint. Additionally, deployment and management costs of networks will decrease because of this new capability, since not as many gateways are needed. The new rates feature high interference resistance and high spectral efficiency to achieve an increase in network capacity. They are used for uplink only, standard data rates remain in use for the downlink.

LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 Spec simplifies development, deployment, Interoperability

October 28, 2020 By Redding Traiger Leave a Comment

The LoRa Alliance announced that it published the LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 Link Layer (L2) Specification. This latest definition of the LoRaWAN standard includes all required implementation elements to facilitate LoRaWAN deployments globally.

According to industry research firm IoT Analytics, LoRaWAN is the most adopted LPWAN technology to date, representing more than one-third of all deployments globally. This market is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 42% over the coming 5 years.

The new specifications package includes: LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 L2 Specification; LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 Certification requirements document and Program; LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool (LCTT) update for end-device pre-certification and regression tests; LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 Reference Code for end-devices, which meets certification; LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 LoRaWAN Certification Protocol (TS009)

This new specifications package accelerates development with LoRaWAN by providing a pre-defined reference implementation, which can serve as an example or even a starting point to develop a product. Once the product is ready, the developer can then verify that it meets LoRaWAN certification requirements using the LCTT, before seeking formal certification.

The package was created against Regional Parameters RP2-1.0.1, which is part of the complete LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 package. Additionally, the update to the LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 L2 Specification includes mainly clarifications that ensure interoperability while further simplifying the development, deployment, and management of LoRaWAN networks. Finally, new security features augment the protocol’s inherent strong security.

Some of the key changes implemented in the new specifications package include: Normative and grammatical clarification; Renaming some of the terms and identifiers to clarify their use; Class A RX window opening requirements are clarified; Full reference made to the Regional Parameters [RP002] companion document; Improvements and clarification to the ADR behaviors, including new Backoff Examples; MAC Command handling and a “persisted” MAC commands overview, including priority of responses; Handling of frames greater than max frame length clarified; Clarify Class B and Class C modes of operation, and priority of Class A downlinks over Class C downlink; Security features/clarifications for counters and persisted parameters

The new LoRaWAN TS1-1.0.4 package is available for download from our website.

New option for certifying devices to LoRaWAN standards

April 7, 2020 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

The LoRa Alliance, the global association of companies backing the open LoRaWANstandard for the Internet of Things (IoT) low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs), today announced its Certification Affiliate option for certifying devices with the LoRaWAN standard. The new Certification Affiliate program offers a path for non-LoRa Alliance members to obtain LoRaWAN device certification. The LoRaWAN certification program includes full protocol testing, interoperability and RF performance, which is critical for open global standards. The Certification Affiliate program will increase the number and breadth of LoRaWAN Certified devices available in the market to serve the IoT needs of companies and users around the world.

“LoRaWAN Certification is more important than ever to ensure that end-users implement devices that meet all technical and security standards,” said Donna Moore, CEO and Chairwoman of the LoRa Alliance. “With this new program, we are offering an additional path to enable rapid certification of products. While we believe membership in the LoRa Alliance remains the best and most affordable path to certification, this ensures that all companies have access to certification if membership is not an option.”

The Certification Affiliate program allows any device manufacturer to certify its products, ensuring they meet end-user requirements for dependability, interoperability and security as defined by the LoRaWAN standard. Under the Affiliate Certification program, companies receive the following benefits:

The use of the LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool (LCTT), a precertification test tool allowing device manufacturers to test their product at their own facility prior to sending the device to an authorized test house for certification
One license for the LCTT is included in the affiliation fee per year, and affiliates have the right to purchase additional licenses
Use of the LoRaWAN Certified logo on their certified products in compliance with LoRa Alliance policies
Have certified products included in the LoRaWAN Showcase online catalog of certified products
Receive LoRa Alliance communications regarding certification

Historically, companies were required to be a member of the LoRa Alliance to certify their devices. However, as certification is key to global adoption, the LoRa Alliance is pleased to offer this new option. The organization still encourages companies to become members of the LoRa Alliance, as the cost to certify is lower and there are many more benefits for member companies.