What LoRa is good at
LoRa is a radio modulation that uses chirp spread spectrum to carry small packets a long way on very little power. It suits sensors that send a reading every few minutes or hours: a tank level, a soil moisture profile, a gate switch, a flow total. It does not suit video, audio or anything that needs a constant stream.
LoRaWAN is the network protocol that runs on top, maintained by the LoRa Alliance. A device transmits, every gateway in range hears it, and a network server removes duplicates, manages keys and passes the data to your application. Because any gateway can pick up any device, adding a gateway improves coverage without touching the devices.
In Australia, LoRaWAN networks usually run on the AU915-928 channel plan. Equipment in the 915-928 MHz band generally operates under the ACMA Low Interference Potential Devices (LIPD) class licence, so no individual spectrum licence is needed. Power limits apply and the band is shared, so a good network keeps time on air low.
Range is a design decision
Published LoRa range figures assume clear line of sight. Real sites have ridgelines, tree lines, sheds and water tanks. We plan from the ground up:
- Antenna height first. Lifting a gateway antenna clear of the tree line usually does more than any radio setting.
- Fresnel zone clearance. A link can fail even when you can see the other end, because terrain intrudes on the zone around the direct path. We check terrain profiles before choosing gateway sites.
- Spreading factor and airtime. Higher spreading factors reach further, but each step roughly doubles time on air, which costs battery and network capacity. Adaptive data rate lets close devices use fast settings and saves slow ones for the edge of coverage.
- Measured, not assumed. We walk or drive the site with a test device and log signal strength (RSSI) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at each planned sensor location.
Star, mesh and store-and-forward
LoRaWAN is a star-of-stars network, not a mesh. Devices talk to gateways and gateways talk to the network server. That keeps devices simple and batteries small. When terrain blocks a single gateway, there are three ways forward, and we will tell you which one you are getting:
- More gateways. The simplest fix. Each one needs power and backhaul, so placement matters.
- A LoRa mesh. Nodes relay each other's packets over several hops. Open projects such as Meshtastic show the pattern for messaging. For sensor networks we schedule relays and budget their power so a relay does not flatten its own battery.
- Store-and-forward. A vehicle, a drone or a mobile gateway collects data from devices out of range and delivers it when it next has a link. This suits sites visited on a routine.
Cellular and satellite backhaul
LTE-M and NB-IoT are low-power cellular standards that Australian carriers run on their mobile networks. They need no gateway of your own, and their power saving modes (PSM and eDRX) let a device sleep between reports. Where coverage is reliable, they can be the simpler choice.
Where there is no coverage, a LoRa gateway can forward its traffic over satellite internet. Direct-to-satellite IoT services such as Myriota and Iridium Short Burst Data can also carry small messages straight from a device. Satellite messages cost more per byte and arrive later, so we send summaries and alarms by satellite and keep raw data on the device.
| Option | Coverage | You own | Payload | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LoRaWAN | Wherever you place a gateway | Gateways and backhaul | Tens of bytes per message | Many sensors on one property |
| LTE-M / NB-IoT | Carrier footprint | Devices only | Larger, IP-based | Scattered devices in coverage |
| Satellite IoT | Almost anywhere with open sky | Devices only | Small messages | A few devices far from any network |
Field gateways that keep working
A gateway is the single point most likely to take a network down, so we design it like infrastructure. A typical build uses an eight or sixteen channel LoRa concentrator, a weatherproof enclosure, surge protection on the antenna feed and, for solar sites, a battery sized to ride through a run of cloudy days. Most AU915 gateways listen on one sub-band of eight channels, so device and gateway settings must match. We record the sub-band, frequency plan and keys in the handover pack.
Gateways report their own health: uptime, backhaul status, packet counts and enclosure temperature. If one goes quiet, you hear about it before the gap in data matters.
Security
LoRaWAN encrypts payloads with AES-128 and checks every message for integrity. We provision devices with over-the-air activation (OTAA), keep root keys out of firmware images and spreadsheets, and run a network server you control: ChirpStack, The Things Stack, or one your IT team already operates.
Questions
How far does LoRa reach?
It depends on terrain and antenna height. In open country with a high gateway antenna, links of several kilometres are common. In hilly or timbered country the range can drop sharply. We measure on site before promising coverage.
Do I need a radio licence to run a LoRaWAN network in Australia?
Not an individual one. LoRa equipment in the 915-928 MHz band generally operates under the ACMA LIPD class licence, which sets power and other conditions the equipment has to meet. We use equipment configured for the AU915 plan.
Can LoRa carry images or video?
No. LoRa carries small packets. For cameras, we run the model on the device and send the result, or use a higher-bandwidth link for the occasional image.
Can you work with our existing network server or gateways?
Yes, as long as they support the LoRaWAN version and regional plan your devices need. We will check firmware versions and sub-band settings first.