This video transcript has been adapted for grammar and clarity.

As the market for commercial and industrial IoT applications explodes, so too does demand for the communication technologies that enable them. This is especially true for remote sensor applications, in which small amounts of data must be transmitted wirelessly over long distances while using a minimal amount of power.

To accomplish that, IoT developers implement one or more low-power wide-area-network (LPWAN) protocols. Among these, the LoRaWAN standard has surged into a dominant position, though it faces a number of competitors.

In this interview with Machine Design, LoRa Alliance CEO Alper Yegin delves into the factors driving LoRaWAN’s rapid growth, how it compares to competitive LPWAN technologies, and the direction the standard is moving in the future.

The Four Pillars of Wireless Communication (00:00:48)

The wireless communications industry has historically been filled with several technologies, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular acting as the three dominant players. We have been building the fourth pillar of the wireless communication industry: low-power wide-area networking, or LPWAN. Several technologies reside under that umbrella, and among them, LoRaWAN is the leading option (00:01:01).

The LPWAN pillar is very complementary to what you get out of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular. Among all four of these technologies, every single one does something none of the rest can do.

Bluetooth provides low-power, short-range communication. Wi-Fi provides short-range broadband communication. If you need long-range broadband, you use cellular. For long-range, low-power communication, that’s where LPWAN comes into the picture. LoRaWAN is the market leader in that space due to its high accessibility, robust ecosystem, and wide adoption.

LoRaWAN technology has the highest accessibility among all LPWAN options because it operates on unlicensed bands. That means anyone can deploy it without needing an extremely expensive and limited license from the government. Just like Wi-Fi, anyone could deploy a LoRaWAN network, and LoRaWAN base stations are extremely low-cost — priced similarly to indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi access points.

Scalability, Ecosystem Growth, and Global Adoption (00:02:26)

Every LoRaWAN gateway is able to provide miles of coverage. Once you deploy a network, you can run several different applications on top of it, increasing the return on investment. Furthermore, sensors often last for more than 10 years on a single charge. These factors make LoRaWAN deployments extremely low-cost.

The technology is built by the LoRa Alliance, endorsed by the ITU, and maintained as an open standard with several open-source implementations available if you want to build your own devices or networks.

Beyond accessibility, we have a highly robust ecosystem. The LoRa Alliance has been around for 11 years and has more than 300 members worldwide, ranging from silicon vendors to multinational public operators. Last year alone, we added 57 new members. Among our members, we have more than 650 certified devices — the highest number for any wireless technology in the LPWAN space — and nearly 1,000 products listed in the LoRa Alliance marketplace catalog.

In terms of adoption, 125 million LoRaWAN devices populate the field today, excluding China. This represents the highest number of LPWAN devices globally, supported by a 25% annual growth rate.

Diverse Deployment Models: Public, Private, and Satellite (00:03:59)

LoRaWAN powers a wide range of real-world applications. These include tracking black rhinos in African wildlife parks, connecting indoor air-quality sensors in Singapore skyscrapers, monitoring vibration sensors in Middle Eastern refineries, and managing conditions in an NBA basketball arena in Atlanta.

This high adoption rate is enabled by the ability to deploy public, private, and community networks. LoRaWAN is the only wireless communications technology where someone can build any of these network types at scale, both on the ground and in space. Low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite operators now use LoRaWAN base stations mounted on satellites to collect data from sensors on the ground.

Best of all, we can integrate all of these networks through roaming. Public networks can roam with private, community, and satellite networks to form a fully integrated system.

Massive IoT vs. Critical IoT: Complementary Standards (00:05:40)

When comparing licensed and unlicensed technologies, standards like LTE-M and NB-IoT operate on licensed spectrum. They offer wider bandwidth, carry larger amounts of data, and provide real-time communication.

LoRaWAN, on the other hand, serves massive IoT applications that require super low cost, long range, and low battery consumption. More than 95% of IoT applications fall under the massive IoT category served by LoRaWAN, whereas less than 5% fall under critical IoT.

Critical IoT applications require gigabytes or terabytes of data — e.g., connecting a car or an airplane — or demand real-time control, such as operating a drone or a robotic surgical arm. That’s where licensed band technologies like NB-IoT and LTE-M excel. As a result, these technologies are complementary. Tier-one GSM operators around the world deploy a mix of both.

For example, Swisscom operates a nationwide cellular network alongside a nationwide LoRaWAN network in Switzerland, using LoRaWAN to track shared bicycles cost-effectively. Similarly, in France, operators use LTE-M for connected cars and LoRaWAN for smart water meters.

In the unlicensed spectrum, competing technologies overlap, but over time, the market reveals which solutions win and those that become marginalized. Most customers continue to choose LoRaWAN due to its ecosystem and adoption strength.

Enabling Physical AI at the Edge (00:08:58)

As the AI industry evolves, attention is shifting toward "Physical AI." Traditionally, AI operated purely on digital data. Now, AI is interacting with the physical world by sensing environments, processing data, and issuing commands back into the physical domain. IoT acts as the glue that connects AI to the physical world, and LoRaWAN is uniquely positioned to make Physical AI a reality.

We see this happening in three key areas:

• On the Sensor (Edge AI): Machine-learning models run directly on devices like vibration sensors or cameras. Instead of streaming raw video or continuous vibration data, the device processes data locally and only transmits actionable alerts, such as detecting machinery failure or spotting wildlife in remote areas.
• Network Management: AI-assisted network monitoring tools optimize the operation and maintenance of LoRaWAN networks.
• Application Analytics and User Experience: Cloud-based AI processes sensor data to accelerate data analytics and replace complex dashboards with natural language interfaces, allowing users to ask vocal or text queries about system status.

Standardizing Industrial Frameworks and Future Utilities (00:12:38)

To support broader industry integration, we’re actively adapting LoRaWAN to major industrial application frameworks. We recently signed a liaison agreement with the OPC Foundation to establish a joint working group for standardizing integration between OPC-UA and LoRaWAN. We have executed similar joint efforts with the DLMS User Association, the OMS Group, and the IETF to enable native IPv6 over LoRaWAN.

Looking ahead, our vision is to make LoRaWAN a ubiquitous utility, similar to water, electricity, or gas. To achieve plug-and-play simplicity, we’re refining device and infrastructure management tools and expanding coverage options.

Beyond satellite connectivity, we’re enhancing "walk-by" and "drive-by" readings for remote areas where permanent base stations are impractical. We’re optimizing power consumption so that devices maintain long battery life even with intermittent gateway availability.

Member companies are even deploying LoRaWAN base stations on drones with satellite backhaul for "fly-by" data collection, serving remote environmental sensors and emergency search-and-rescue operations.

This video originally appeared on our sister publication, Machine Design.