According to the company, the key to this innovation is a unique wireless communications network protocol based on the use of pico gateways, unlike concentrators and rooftop antennas, which come in the form of smart plugs connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Incorporating LoRa™ IC, the range of pico gateways is potentially as extensive as the sophisticated antenna arrays installed on rooftops by telecom companies. As a result of their low cost and easy installation inside buildings, the network can be densified as needed and made fault-tolerant, achieving deeper indoor penetration and resulting in significantly higher quality of service.
The cost of a pico gateway is approximately 100 times lower than that of a rooftop installation. Instead of investing tens of millions of euros in infrastructure, PicoWAN will create highly competitive LP-WANs thanks to the widespread adoption of these very low-cost pico gateways.
To ensure the deployment of a global network across Europe, PicoWAN plans to distribute up to 200,000 free pico gateways by the end of 2016.
The software embedded in the connected devices will be available free of charge to all developers and integrators in vertical or consumer markets, enabling them to create their own IoT networks. This technology will facilitate the launch of multiple connected devices across all sectors (healthcare, agriculture, home automation, industry, and more), instantly compatible with the PicoWAN network anywhere. All LoRaWAN™ devices can be easily made compatible.
