LoRa Alliance Expands Global Reach Amid Growing IoT Landscape

SAN JOSE, Calif — The LoRa Alliance announced that it now operates more than 100 global networks, serving millions of end nodes as the Internet of Things (IoT) approaches a critical mass.

Global Network Growth

With 100+ networks already active worldwide, the Alliance is working to broaden its certification and testing programs this year. These enhancements aim to streamline deployments and reduce the custom engineering that has historically slowed IoT adoption.

Competitive Landscape

LoRa competes with other long‑range, wide‑area networks such as OnRamp, Sigfox, and Telensa in unlicensed bands, as well as with cellular solutions like Cat‑M and Narrowband IoT. Meanwhile, Wi‑Fi vendors are set to release 802.11ah (HaLow) chips this year, intensifying competition in the 900‑MHz spectrum.

Industry Outlook

“I’m very bullish; I do think we are at a crossroads where it is now a market pull,” said Donna Moore, former Digital Living Network Alliance veteran and current LoRa Alliance CEO. “IoT is complicated and requires more ease of deployment— that’s one of the big reasons why IoT has stuttered around the ground.”

Moore added that the Alliance plans to launch a product marketplace in the next quarter, expecting integrators to offer easier, turnkey solutions.

Upcoming Enhancements

Key initiatives for 2024 include a certified software stack, pre‑testing options for vendors, and expanded RF and battery‑life testing alongside additional regional parameters. The Alliance also aims to showcase over‑the‑air firmware updates at its February meeting, with a streamlined five‑to‑ten‑minute process already defined in 2017.

Roaming specifications across networks have been finalized, though operators are still negotiating commercial agreements to manage the service.

Technical Capabilities

Microcell gateways can support 7,000 to 10,000 nodes—comparable to HaLow gateways—while LoRa’s picocells handle up to 3,000 nodes. Its macrocells, however, can manage tens of thousands, and typical LoRa ranges extend several kilometers, often outpacing HaLow.