Sep 23 2016
Semtech Corporation, a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced its LoRa® Wireless RF Technology is a key enabler of a new low power, wide area network (LPWAN) being deployed in Japan by SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”), a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984). Japan’s LoRaWAN™-based network is expected to deploy during Softbank’s 2016 fiscal year and service Internet of Things (IoT) industry sectors, which can benefit from an intelligent sensing infrastructure for collecting and analyzing data to help make business decisions.
Semtech LoRa® Wireless RF Technology Chosen by SoftBank for New IoT Network in Japan
The LoRaWAN-based network is comprised of hardware, software and services from Actility and Hon Hai Precision Industry with Semtech LoRa Technology embedded in the sensors and gateways. The new network is initially expected to provide services for IoT applications such as equipment monitoring and control at commercial facilities, buildings, warehouses and other venues, automated gas and water meter reading, tracking for senior citizens and children, monitoring highway and railroad infrastructure, and managing of logistics and fleets of cars, trucks and buses.
“We see IoT as a major growth driver for us and believe that a LoRaWAN-based network will provide our customers with a standards-based platform for connecting devices, machines, and other equipment in an intelligent way,” said Hironobu Tamba, Vice President, Service Platform Strategy & Development Division of SoftBank. “We look forward to building a vibrant LPWAN business in Japan through close technology and market collaboration with Semtech and their ecosystem partners.”
“We are excited to see that SoftBank is launching an IoT network based on Semtech's LoRa Wireless RF Technology,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless and Sensing Product Group at Semtech. “It's also yet another great example of how ecosystem partners from the LoRa Alliance™ continue to work together to establish the LoRaWAN protocol as the leading solution for LPWANs worldwide.”
Semtech, Actility, Hon Hai Precision Industry and SoftBank are members of the LoRa Alliance, a group nearly 400 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.
Key Features of LoRa RF Technology:
- Long Range: A single LoRa base station enables deep penetration capability for dense urban environments and indoor coverage, while also providing the ability to connect to sensors more than 15-30 miles away in rural areas.
- Low Power: The LoRaWAN protocol was developed specifically for low power and enables unprecedented battery lifetime of up to 20 years depending on the application.
- Low Cost: LoRa reduces upfront infrastructure investments and operating costs, as well as end-node sensor costs.
- Standardized: LoRaWAN ensures interoperability among applications, IoT solution providers and telecom operators to speed adoption and deployment.