My fellow editors and I already pointed out the impact of the LoRa technology in various articles in Elektor Magazine like here, and in Elektor e-zine like here, here and here. If these messages did not quite succeed in getting the message across that LoRa and LoraWAN are great areas for you, electronicists to grind you teeth on, we now get unexpected support from Glasgow! There, a consortium has installed a 12 km2 LoRa IoT covering the city’s commercial center, Merchant City and West End. It is stressed that the range does not extend to Edinburgh :-).

The network will enable the development and use of devices such as building and indoor environmental monitors, pollution sensors, tags for tracking valuable assets and social care devices designed to support independent living,” said the consortium, which consists of: Stream Technologies, Semtech, Boston Networks and CENSIS; and is working with Glasgow University, Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University.

Glasgow — the consortium say — was selected as the test case because of its similarities to many major metropolitan areas: it includes a grid system like major US conurbations, older historic spaces and a mix of urban and extra-urban environments. The consortium is also working on the installation of a similar sensor network in Inverness to monitor conditions in more rural environments. It is hoped that the Glasgow network will attract IoT development companies to the city. A good idea since Freescale left from nearby East Kilbride.