LoRa® & LoRaWAN®
What is the difference between LoRa® and LoRaWAN®?
LoRa® (Long-Range) is the name for the physical layer (PHY), the wireless modulation used to establish the communication link over long distances. It was developed by the company Semtech. The name LoRa® refers to the long range.
LoRaWAN® (Long-Range WAN) is an open network protocol that enables secure bidirectional communication (downlink and uplink), mobility and localization services and is standardized and maintained by the LoRa Alliance®.
Is LoRaWAN® free?
Both LoRa® and LoRaWAN® are legally protected designations and the use of the logos is not permitted without further approval. Permission from Semtech is required for the use of the LoRa® logo. This can be applied for free of charge if a Semtech chipset is used. LoRaWAN® is protected by the LoRa Alliance®. Use of this logo requires membership.
Membership levels (yearly costs): Institutional($0), Adopter (Start-Up) ($3k), Adopter($6k), Contributor($20k), Sponsor ($50k). Source (29.10.2024): www.semtech.com/lora; www.lora-alliance.org. The latest information you can find on the LoRa Alliance® website: https://lora-alliance.org/membership/
What is a LoRaWAN® gateway?
LoRaWAN® Architecture
A LoRaWAN® enabled end device is wirelessly connected to a LoRaWAN® through radio gateways.
Uplink Transmission:
A LoRaWAN® gateway receives messages from any end device and forwards these data messages to the LoRaWAN® server (LNS). There is no fixed association between an end device and a specific gateway. Instead, multiple gateways can receive the same message from a single end device, the LNS performs data de-duplication and deletes all copies.
Downlink Transmission:
For downlinks communication, the LoRaWAN® server (LNS) typically selects the gateway that received the message with the best RSSI when transmitting a downlink message. The gateway executes transmission requests coming from the LNS and forwards these data messages to end device.
| LoRaWAN® Overview | LoRaWAN® international useable frequencies |
|---|---|
 |  |