Orange extends IoT trial with LoRa in France

It looks as though French telco Orange is covering its bases when it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT). The operator is deploying a LoRa network in 17 French urban areas while it continues standardization work on future cellular networks optimized for the IoT.

Orange previously said the LoRa network will be operational in the first quarter of 2016 and progressively deployed nationwide. It will be used to transport communications for mass market and business customers. Orange tested the LoRa technology in a large scale trial in Grenoble involving more than 30 partners.

LoRa is just one of at least six technology options open to companies that want to deploy IoT networks serving low-bandwidth, low-power IoT applications like utility meters and vending machines, Mobile World Live notes. LoRa is based on technology initially developed by Semtech. Like rival Sigfox technology, LoRa operates in unlicensed spectrum.