Creating a LoRaWAN IoT network nationwide

In areas where the network already operates, Spark has partnered with users eager to experience the energy efficient, cost effective benefits of connecting their devices and receiving the valuable data they provide.

Partners include Farmlands and Ballance Agri-Nutrients, two of the country’s largest farmer-owned co-operatives, which have created smart-farming use cases.

Farmers can get real time information about their operations through an array of sensors, enabling them to analyse the data in real time from multiple areas to support farm decisions.

Other early adopters of LoRaWAN connectivity include the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). Spark also is targeting key sectors such as health, safety, transportation, asset tracking and smart cities.

LoRaWAN is a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) solution for wireless, bidirectional and secure connectivity of battery-powered devices in regional, national or global networks.

This technology also enables device native geolocation using the radio network and geolocation-ready LoRaWAN gateways like those provided by Kerlink. End users are also strongly supported by the LoRa Alliance, a global, +500 member ecosystem of companies and organisations that share their experiences operating the network and that provide the different building blocks of successful end-to-end IoT solutions.

The deployment extends Kerlink’s rapidly growing international footprint, following nationwide rollouts launched in India and Argentina this year.

Kerlink, a co-founder and board member of the LoRa Alliance, is providing its Wirnet iBTS Compact stations that meet Spark requirements for quality, reliability and robustness, including bidirectional data exchange and geolocation capability. The system operates on a local ISM band (923 MHz).

“Working closely with Spark, Kerlink again demonstrates the performance, scalability and flexibility of its stations and its focus on customer success,” said Arnaud Boulay, Kerlink’s Asia Pacific Sales Director.

“Spark already has created use cases that will demonstrate the LoRaWAN network’s energy efficient, geolocation connectivity that is well suited for both the wide-open spaces and urban centers of New Zealand.”