From the brainiacs at EE Times:
Amazon is further extending its reach in the world of IoT with the debut of its latest Sidewalk product: The Amazon Bridge Pro, a ruggedized device that uses indoor or outdoor antennas using the LoRa [Long Range] protocol to connect hundreds of compatible IoT devices up to 5 miles away.
Amazon says that the bridge unit will provide connectivity to devices such as air quality indicators, moisture sensors, and sunlight detectors in commercial centers, parks, and wilderness areas. Amazon hasn’t revealed the price of the Bridge Pro yet.
One of the first organizations to test the bridge is Arizona State University’s Technology Office (UTO). The group will trial how the Amazon unit can support connected devices (such as CO2 detectors, particle counters, and temperature sensors) on the campus. The UTO will deploy the Sidewalk bridges on blue light poles on the university’s Tempe campus that function as emergency stations for students and staff. This positioning aims help the Bridges broadcast over long distances.
LoRa rivals
LoRaWAN is an unlicensed, low-power, wide-area networking protocol built on top of the LoRa radio modulation technique.
Amazon’s move into the LoRa network provider space is potentially bad news for the 166 operators running LoRaWAN networks worldwide.
EveryNet claims to be the world’s largest network operator for national LoRaWAN networks. In December 2021, the company expanded its plan to launch in the top 36 metropolitan areas in the U.S, with launches in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and other major cities stateside. EveryNet is focused on smart cities, infrastructure, and enabling utilities to monitor water and electricity systems.
Senet says that it provides the largest public carrier-grade LoRaWAN network in the United States. It is focused on providing IoT coverage for enterprise customers.
Senet is partnered with Helium, which runs the world’s largest DIY IoT network. Helium is supporting everything from smart city sensors to dog trackers using its LoRaWAN-based network. Recently, Helium has started to develop a CBRS-cum-5G gateway, which in time may take it out of the IoT sphere somewhat. At the moment, however, Helium is operating 473,305 IoT hotspots worldwide.
Both Amazon’s Sidewalk protocol and Helium’s LongFi technology are based on the LoRa spec. The technology offered by both companies supports similar coverage ranges and application ambitions. So there is likely to be some tension over the Sidewalk shuffle over at Helium....
....MUCH MORE
The stuff is going to be everywhere
