LoRaWan connectivity has grown quickly over the past few years, offering secure high-speed Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity over greater distances with low power consumption.

US cloud-based software and services platforms provider Senet and Helium Network, a decentralised wireless network, have announced an expansion of their roaming integration to include Helium-compatible hotspots around the world.

This global expansion announcement follows the completion of network integration for US customers and the delivery of integrated network mapping and planning tools designed to simplify the roll-out of IoT solutions.

Senet, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has championed the use of the low-power consumption network for a wide variety of IoT devices, especially useful in smart cities. The ability to be connected across long distances has huge implications for security and people management offering network speeds up to 200-times faster than Wi-Fi.

Senet Network’s fully enabled two-way architecture provides data communication from sensors over long distances at a lower cost than traditional cable and booster Wi-Fi. Battery life is determined by how often the devices are set to transmit data and how much data is being transmitted with transceiver batteries lasting as long as 10 years.

Senet originally partnered with the LoRa Alliance and Semtech to incorporate LoRaWAN technology into the Senet Network. With its deployment of the Senet Network promises unique benefits including bidirectional communication, mobile device support, adaptive data rate support and strong built-in security features using AES-128 CCM

The LoRaWAN network facilitates interoperability of connected devices is helping to accelerate the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution and the Helium Network is seen as the biggest leap forward in mass adoption of the technology.

Senet’s extended coverage services now include global LoRaWan network connectivity delivered by more than 720,000 Helium-compatible hotspots in 55,000 cities and 170 countries.

As new hotspots are added to the global Helium Network, they will automatically contribute to Senet’s network coverage at no additional cost to customers.

In a statement Senent said: “The Helium Network partnership broadens coverage in areas where Senet has already deployed carrier-grade networks and provides access to LoRaWan network connectivity for enterprise and consumer-grade devices where Senet has not yet deployed carrier-grade services.”

Launched in July 2019, Helium is an open-source blockchain network designed to power IoT devices with wireless connectivity. In an effort to build a global, ubiquitous wireless network, individuals are incentivized to host Hotspots – nodes that simultaneously mine HNT for building and securing the Network, while providing connectivity to nearby devices.

With a growing network of Helium Hotspots around the world, developers and businesses are able to affordably connect a new class of IoT devices that would otherwise be impossible, from remote wildfire or environmental sensors to smart pet collars, scooters and bikes being tracked across any city.

Hotspots are plug-and-play wireless devices that provide high-speed connectivity with Helium LongFi, the combination of the LoRaWAN wireless protocol and the Helium blockchain.  

For solution providers deploying commercial applications at scale, Senet provides a carrier grade on-ramp to the Helium Network. Through a full suite of cloud-based services, solution providers partnered with Senet can onboard and operate their IoT devices using Helium-compatible hotspots while benefiting from Senet’s managed network services and customer support, including:

• application management through an intuitive user portal or APIs
• simplified billing in US dollars
• secure device provisioning and onboarding
• network monitoring and management
• notifications and alerts for application and network health
• centralised device control and reporting
• customer-specific network mapping and system health tools.

ABOUT SENET

LoRaWAN is a long-range low power, Wide Area Network protocol designed to wirelessly connect low power devices to the internet in networks of any size and targets key IoT requirements such as bi-directional communication, end-to-end security, mobility and localization services. Its long range and low power make it ideal for smart street lighting projects, as it provides a greater connectivity range than Zigbee or Wi-SUN without the expense of cellular.

Senet pioneered the use of LoRaWAN for commercial IoT deployments in the US, with significant success deploying high-capacity networks for municipal water utility districts across the United States. Discover more about Senet’s LoRaWan network provision HERE

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