LoRa vs LoRaWAN

LoRa Overview

LoRa and LoRaWAN are both technologies used for wireless communication in the Internet of Things (IoT). However, they are not the same thing.

LoRa (Long Range) is a proprietary wireless communication protocol developed by Semtech Corporation. It uses a spread spectrum technique to transmit data over long distances, typically several kilometers, using a low-power radio frequency. LoRa is designed to support a large number of devices with low data rates and long battery life, making it well-suited for IoT applications.

LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a networking protocol that uses the LoRa protocol as the physical layer for communication. LoRaWAN is designed to support a large number of devices with low data rates and long battery life, making it well-suited for IoT applications. LoRaWAN operates in unlicensed spectrum, meaning that it can be used by anyone without requiring a license, and uses a decentralized architecture, with devices communicating directly with gateways that are connected to the internet. This makes it well-suited for use in areas where it may be difficult to establish a traditional wireless network.

In summary, LoRa is the physical layer of communication used in LoRaWAN, while LoRaWAN is a networking protocol that uses LoRa as the physical layer.