What is LoRaWAN

LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power, wide-area networking protocol designed for wireless, battery-operated devices in regional, national, or global networks.

Key Features

Long Range

Coverage up to 10-15 km in rural areas
2-5 km in urban environments
Penetrates buildings and underground locations

Low Power

Battery life of 5-10+ years
Optimized for infrequent, small data transmissions
Sleep mode between transmissions

Low Cost

Simple, inexpensive sensors
No SIM cards or monthly cellular fees
Minimal infrastructure requirements

How It Works

LoRaWAN uses a star-of-stars topology:

End Devices (sensors) transmit data
Gateways receive signals from multiple devices
Network Server manages the network
Application Server processes the data


End Device → Gateway → Network Server → Application Server → Your App

Frequency Bands

LoRaWAN operates on unlicensed radio spectrum:

EU868: 863-870 MHz (Europe)
US915: 902-928 MHz (North America)
AS923: 915-928 MHz (Asia)
AU915: 915-928 MHz (Australia)

Use Cases

Common applications include:

Environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity)
Asset tracking (GPS location)
Smart agriculture (soil moisture, weather)
Smart cities (parking, waste management)
Building automation (HVAC, lighting)

Limitations

Be aware of:

Small payload sizes (typically 51-222 bytes)
Limited downlink capability
Not suitable for real-time applications
Regulatory duty cycle restrictions