LoRaWAN: The future of IoT communication

LoRaWAN stands for "Long Range Wide Area Network". It is a wireless network protocol that was specially developed for the Internet of Things (IoT). LoRaWAN enables communication between IoT devices and application servers over long distances (up to 15 km).

With its long range, low power requirements and ability to manage a large number of connections, LoRaWAN is ideal for applications such as remote monitoring of sensors, meters and other IoT devices.

Another advantage: its open protocol and global distribution enable broad use and interoperability. This means that different systems, devices or applications can connect and communicate with each other - automatically.

A LoRaWAN network consists of several components: LoRaWAN-capable end devices (nodes), gateways, a network server and an application server.

1. The end devices such as sensors (e.g. temperature or pressure sensors) send their data to the gateway.
2. The LoRa gateway receives the signals, connects to the LoRA network server via a standard IP connection and forwards the collected data packets. Depending on the scope and topological conditions, several gateways may be required..
3.  In the next step, the data is transmitted from the network server to an application server, from where it can be accessed via PC or smartphone.

Good to know: The network uses several frequency channels and dynamically adapts the data rate to the quality of the wireless connection. This enables fast data transmission and minimizes radio channel occupancy. In addition, several sensors can be integrated into one network without causing interference between the sensors.

LoRaWAN offers a security standard that works on two levels: One level for the network and another for the application. The network security ensures the authenticity of the node in the network. The application level, in turn, ensures that the network operator does not gain access to the user data. The AES method is used for encryption, with the key exchange taking place via an IEEE-EUI64 identifier.

LoRaWAN technology also relies on end-to-end encryption, which protects the data during the entire transmission up to and including the operator's core network.

In practice, this means that the data is encrypted by the end device, e.g. a sensor, and only decrypted after transmission on the server - bidirectional communication. This ensures data security at all times.

LoRa und LoRaWAN sind zwei miteinander verbundene, aber unterschiedliche Technologien.

• LoRa steht für "Long Range" und ist eine Funkmodulationstechnik. Sie wurde speziell entwickelt, um eine hohe Reichweite bei geringem Energieverbrauch zu ermöglichen und dabei kleine Datenmengen zu übertragen.
• LoRaWAN hingegen bedeutet "Long Range Wide Area Network" und ist ein Kommunikationsprotokoll oder Netzwerkstandard, der auf LoRa aufbaut. LoRaWAN definiert die Systemarchitektur und Kommunikationsprotokolle, die benötigt werden, um LoRa für die Netzwerkkommunikation in einem Wide Area Network (WAN) zu nutzen.

Kurz gesagt: LoRa bezieht sich auf die physikalische Übertragungstechnik, während LoRaWAN die Netzwerkstruktur und Protokolle definiert, die diese Technik nutzen.

LoRaWAN offers numerous advantages, especially for IoT applications:

• Long range: LoRaWAN can transmit signals over distances of up to 15 km in rural areas and 2-3 km in urban areas.
• Good coverage: LoRa technology can effectively penetrate obstacles such as buildings and vegetation, making it ideal for use in urban and industrial environments.
• Low energy consumption: Data transmission with LoRaWAN is very energy efficient due to the low data volume and short transmission times.
• Long battery life: Devices using LoRaWAN often have a battery life of up to 10 years.
• Data security: LoRaWAN offers a high level of security thanks to end-to-end encryption.
• Cost efficiency: By using license-free frequency bands, operating costs can be kept low.
• Open standard: As an open standard, LoRaWAN is supported by a broad ecosystem of hardware and software providers.

In principle, LoRaWAN is available wherever a LoRaWAN network is installed. This can be initiated by various organizations. More and more cities, local authorities, energy suppliers and telecommunications companies are driving the expansion forward. LoRaWAN is very popular not only in Germany, but worldwide.

The availability of LoRaWAN is often higher in urban areas. However, the range and penetration capability also make the technology particularly attractive for rural or remote locations.

The LoRa Alliance plays a key role in the expansion. It is a global association of companies that promote LoRaWAN and thus want to support and implement the Internet of Things (IoT). It is backed by technology groups such as IBM, Google, Amazon, Orange, Cisco and Microsoft.