The Future of IoT: LoRa® and NB-IoT Set to Dominate by 2030

We're excited to share some groundbreaking insights into the future of IoT! Our latest media feature on RCR Wireless News dives into why NB-IoT and LoRa^® are being hailed as the kings of IoT, with projections to reach an astounding 3.5 billion connections by 2030!

Read more about this exciting news below or read the full article on RCR Wireless.  

LoRa and NB-IoT: The Powerhouses of IoT

The article highlights the immense potential and growth trajectory of LoRa and NB-IoT. These technologies are not only leading the current IoT landscape but are also expected to shape the future in significant ways. Shobhit Srivastava, senior principal analyst at Omdia, shares valuable insights: 

“LoRa is expected to remain the preferred choice in private IoT connections, while NB-IoT will expand through cost-effective implementations, with both technologies poised for continued success through 2030.” 

• LoRa (Long Range): With its robust and flexible nature, LoRa is widely used in private IoT connections. It offers extensive range and deep penetration communication capabilities, making it a preferred choice for battery-powered applications such as environmental monitoring, connected spaces like smart metering, smart buildings, smart cities, asset tracking, and agriculture. Learn more about LoRa.
  
• NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT): Specialized for more stationary devices, NB-IoT uses existing LTE infrastructure for its connectivity. Its cost-effective implementation is driving its expansion across various sectors

Looking Ahead

The projections by Omdia suggest that both NB-IoT and LoRa will continue to thrive and expand their influence in the IoT world. The anticipated 3.5 billion connections by 2030 underline the critical role these technologies will play in connecting devices and enabling smarter solutions globally. LoRaWAN® is the leading LPWAN connectivity technology outside China, while NB-IoT is the predominant technology within China.  NB-IoT cost-effectiveness cannot be overlooked. Different use cases would still rely on Private LoRa deployment as a way to address NB-IoT Network coverage gaps and devices that are deployed in remote sites, underground, or deep indoor – taking advantage of the superior LoRa Sub-GHz material penetration, long range, low power, ease of deployment and broad ecosystem devices (gateways, sensors and trackers).

Srivastava added: “LoRaWAN is now focusing on high-growth areas, such as smart buildings, smart homes, and asset tracking.”  

Recent LoRa deployments shows that indeed LoRa is gaining momentum in very broad use cases:

• Smart Utilities: Water, gas and electric meters, power grid and solar farms monitoring, solar panel cleaning robots. 
• Smart cities with electric bike tracking and smart locks for city bikes, smart waste bins, street lights and smart parking sensors.
• Logistics application such as dry and cold containers.
• Factory automation with recent deployments at Volvo & Mercedes factories.
• Retail stores with refrigeration and environmental monitoring.
• Smart agriculture with soil moisture, greenhouse temp and humidity monitoring, pig farms feeders, cattle tracking, rubber tapping machines, and pest control.
• Smart building/hospitality: solution such as smoke alarms, water and gas leak detectors, termite monitoring, heat pump and HVAC monitoring, IV monitoring and machines/equipment utilization monitoring.

For a deeper dive into the future of IoT and to understand the dynamics of LoRa and NB-IoT, check out the full article on RCR Wireless News. Stay ahead of the curve and learn why these technologies are at the forefront of the IoT revolution. Read the Full Article 

Stay tuned for more updates and insights on the latest trends and innovations in the IoT space! Or learn more about LoRa by visiting: https://fr.semtech.com/lora/what-is-lora or talk to one of our LoRa experts.