On the heels of a partnership announcement earlier this year that Senet, a pioneer in cloud-based software and services for LoRaWAN network deployments had completed a network integration with Helium, a rapidly growing distributed networking innovator, the companies today said they are now offering public LoRaWAN connectivity services in over 2,000 cities in the U.S., delivered through a combination of Senet networks and more than 150,000 Helium-compatible Hotspots.
In addition, they introduced new network visualization and planning tools to assist customers with deploying IoT solutions at scale across the United States.
With an intuitive interactive network map, customers can more easily plan their IoT network requirements, including those in major metropolitan areas, shipping ports, across key logistics corridors, and in large agricultural areas. With unprecedented coverage and density enabled by the partnership, the network is the first and only U.S.-wide LoRaWAN network designed, built, and operated by U.S.-owned businesses.
For the industrial sector, including manufacturers, commercial farmers and ranchers, shipping, logistics and supply chain companies and more, this expansive coverage is a welcome advancement given the orchestration of secure network connectivity with the benefits LoRaWAN provides (long-range wireless capabilities with longer end-device battery life and equipment and operational economics that are favorable compared to other network protocols, including NB-IoT, Cat M1, satellite, and other local area network services).
Customers access the coverage map and planning tools from a single pane of glass to instantly visualize overlapping and extended coverage areas. With ZIP code-based search and zoom functionality, solution providers and end customers can immediately verify a dynamically updated data set as new gateways and hotspots deploy. This verification can either be done on a desktop web-based application or mobile devices, making it even more convenient to plan their LoRaWAN network requirements.
Additionally, Senet has updated its Application Provider Portal tools to further assist its customers with network coverage guidance and density information for application development and deployment planning. It includes a dropping a pin feature to get data automatically calculated and displayed, with the proximity of Helium gateways near the selected location.
“Over our years of experience in IoT, we have learned very clearly that this is not a ‘build it and they will come’ network opportunity. Rather, each customer application requires flexible geographic coverage and various signal propagation models. As we partner with companies like Helium to deliver ubiquitous LoRaWAN network connectivity across the US, providing standardized coverage information and robust planning tools are increasingly important in delivering on the promise of flexible IoT connectivity where it is needed, when it’s needed, and at the right cost,” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO of Senet. “These tools will continue to gain functionality over time, serving as indispensable resources for developing, deploying, and managing IoT solutions at scale.”
The densified coverage areas where Senet and Helium networks overlap, combined with areas of Helium coverage where Senet has not yet deployed, offer immediate and measurable value to solution providers and end customers.
For example, although Senet has deployed a LoRaWAN network across all five boroughs of New York City, one of Senet’s major customers experienced a 25 percent increase in connected asset reporting because of gaining access to Helium coverage through Senet’s network services.
“Completing our network integration with Senet was an exciting and important first step in our partnership,” said Amir Haleem, Helium’s CEO and co-founder. “Now, with Senet’s expanded network visualization and planning tools, customers can more easily identify coverage areas, plan their connectivity requirements, and scale their solution deployments across Helium and Senet coverage areas.”
According to AllTheResearch, the Global LoRaWAN Market was valued at $253 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $5557.2 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 48.2 percent from 2019 to 2026.
You can learn more about the expanded network footprint and advanced planning tools here.
