LoRa (Long Range) is among a clutch of narrowband technologies that connect devices cheaply over unlicensed spectrum and vast distances and needs very little power.
Unlike 5G networks or Bluetooth, which are more commonly touted as possible technologies for IoT adoption, LoRa’s drawback is that it can only send small parcels of data, rather than the gigabytes most wired and mobile standards aspire to.
However, advocates of the platform argue that this may be more than enough.
"It turns out you don't need that huge an infrastructure and it can be driven by small devices that are very smart and not very expensive," says Mike Cruse, CEO of Definium Technologies, which is building LoRa-based devices for farmers, universities and mines.
The IoT has long promised to hook up devices - everything from aircraft to hairdryers - enabling owners to monitor, control and collect data from them remotely. Spending on the IoT is estimated to hit $6tr between...