Jul 20 2016
Semtech Corporation, a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced that its LoRa® wireless RF technology will be featured in a new low power, wide area network (LPWAN) deployed by regional telecom carrier Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West (NTT West) in the Kansai area of Japan to field test a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications such as smart metering and agriculture, system monitoring of networks and equipment, asset and people tracking, and environmental warning systems.
New LoRaWAN™-based Network in Japan Now Open for Field Testing Internet of Things Applications
The purpose of the field trial is to test the commercial feasibility of various IoT use cases on NTT West’s LoRaWAN™-based LPWAN. Participants selected for inclusion in the field trial will be able to deploy and test their applications on the NTT West network. Semtech LoRa technology is a key component in the field trial as participants will use sensors and data aggregation services from members of the LoRa Alliance™ to ensure they are LoRaWAN-compliant. Another goal of the trial program is to solicit feedback from participating companies through information sharing sessions, meetings and surveys.
“We are excited to launch our new LPWAN for field testing so that we can validate various use cases for our network and collect valuable information we can use to enhance our IoT offerings,” said Shigenori HORI, Senior Manager of NTT West’s Business Design Department. “After careful research, we chose a LoRaWAN-based network platform because it offered a large ecosystem of open standards-based solutions through the LoRa Alliance, while also providing the long range and low power requirements our customers need at a low cost. Now that we have launched the field trials, we are looking forward to seeing and sharing the results.”
“It’s great to see a carrier like NTT West play a leadership role in deploying and testing a LPWAN for IoT applications in Japan,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President and General Manager of Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Product Group. “We are looking forward to seeing the various IoT use cases that will be enabled by this network. We are also pleased that after reviewing several solutions, they chose a network based on the LoRaWAN specification, which, through the LoRa Alliance, is quickly becoming a global standard for IoT applications requiring long range, low power and low cost.”
The LoRa Alliance, which was launched in March 2015, is a group of over 300 companies committed to driving and enhancing the LoRaWAN specification to ensure interoperability and scalability of LPWANs and IoT applications. Through its work with member companies and IoT industry groups, it is making LoRaWAN the standard for LPWANs focused on low power, long range IoT applications. To date, there are LoRaWAN public and private networks in more than 50 countries worldwide.