California-based Semtech has extended its LoRa Edge platform to support seamless worldwide asset tracking.

The LoRa Edge LR1120 device-to-cloud geolocation platform enables satellite-based networks and can simplify terrestrial network interoperability. It allows for direct satellite-connected IoT applications in supply chain management and logistics with seamless low power geolocation on a global scale.

“Semtech’s LoRa is targeting track-and-trace challenges faced by the logistics industry today with a geolocation IoT platform adapted to global transportation and mass-scale asset management,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president at Semtech. “With the launch of multi-band LoRa support, coupled with LoRa cloud services, it has never been easier to expand ubiquitous IoT connectivity and geolocation globally.”

With the LR1120, intercontinental logistics companies can leverage integrated, low-power trackers with interoperability, more versatile connectivity for a simpler operation and global mobility across multiple regulatory regions. Additionally, the possibility to offer a low-power and low-cost sensor with satellite connectivity unlocks use cases in infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and environmental monitoring that require deployment in remote areas, which tend to be very capital intensive.

“Combining LoRa with small, relatively low-cost LEO satellites will change the game for LoRa and IoT,” said Christopher Taylor, director at Strategy Analytics. “Adding satellite communication capabilities in the S-band to LoRa can help replace aging scada monitoring and open up new applications and markets, especially in remote regions. So far, LoRa has attracted the interest of several satellite companies including EchoStar and Lacuna.”

Features of the LR1120 include multi-band LoRa capability at sub-GHz, 2.4GHz and licensed S-band for satellite, and multi-technology geolocation using GNSS for outdoor and wifi for indoor, as well as areas where satellite coverage is poor.

The LoRa cloud geolocation technology transfers the location processing workload from the device to the cloud, making deploy-once battery life possible.

The device is supported by GPS and Beidou constellations, and has a hardware crypto engine for increased security.