How To Accelerate LoRaWAN - Alper Yegin

Alper Yegin, CEO of the LoRa Alliance, joins the show to share strategic insights into the future of LoRaWAN as a utility-grade connectivity layer for IoT. With over 100 million LoRaWAN devices already deployed and 50% annual growth rates, Alper highlights how businesses can leverage certification, collaboration, and plug-and-play architecture to thrive in this evolving LPWAN landscape. This episode is essential listening for anyone building in IoT infrastructure or deploying scalable IoT monitoring solutions.

Key Points

• Awareness and education—not competing technologies—are the biggest threats to LoRaWAN’s growth. Many failed deployments result from misunderstanding how to use the protocol properly.
• The LoRa Alliance’s certification process has been streamlined and made more affordable, helping device makers win RFPs and expand into global markets more efficiently.
• LoRaWAN’s roaming and integration across public, private, and satellite networks is paving the way for a globally unified, plug-and-play IoT connectivity experience.
• Businesses deploying LoRaWAN in smart buildings benefit from long-range, battery-efficient, low-cost, and license-free radio infrastructure—making it ideal for facilities like stadiums, retail chains, and office complexes.
• Strategic collaboration within the LoRa Alliance is accelerating product quality and ecosystem adoption, with members often working together—even as competitors—to grow the entire IoT pie.

Businesses Mentioned

• Verizon: Deployed LoRaWAN at State Farm Arena for facility management across the entire venue.
• AT&T: Launched a facility service called Connected Spaces, exclusively using LoRaWAN.
• MachineQ (Comcast subsidiary): Installed LoRaWAN sensors in over 10,000 Starbucks locations for cold chain monitoring.
• Rentokil: The world’s largest pest control firm is adopting LoRaWAN to monitor hard-to-reach building areas.
• Shell, Total Energies, Chevron: Using LoRaWAN in oil and gas facilities for temperature, valve, and vibration sensing.
• Veolia: Operating 5 million live LoRaWAN water meters across France.
• Yorkshire Water: Deploying 1.3 million LoRaWAN-connected water meters in the UK.

Memorable Quotes

• “Reality on the ground is ahead of the perception. There are a lot more deployments than meets the eye.”
• “Plug and play is key. You should be able to buy a device, turn it on, and it just connects—anywhere in the world.”
• “If people use LoRaWAN incorrectly and think it doesn’t work, it sets them back years. Education is critical.”

Find Our Guest

Alper Yegin - LinkedIn

LoRa Alliance

• Helium Global IoT Coverage - Want to know if Helium coverage exists where you need it? Check out this map!
• Helium Foundation - The Helium Foundation's IoT Working Group (IOTWG) has generously provided support for the first 6 months of shows, please go check them out and consider using the Helium LoRaWAN as a primary or backup on your next deployment. With over a quarter million gateways deployed worldwide, it's likely that you have and can use Helium coverage.
• Support The Show - If you'd like to support the MetSci Show financially, here's where you can donate on a one-time or an ongoing basis. Thank you!
• MetSci Show - If you'd like to use our IoT or AI Data Value calculators, or you'd like to contact me, the MetSci Show site is the best way to do it.
• MeteoScientific Console - Use LoRaWAN - The MeteoScientific Console allows you to use LoRaWAN today. As long as you have Helium coverage (and you probably do, about 90% of populated areas in the world have a gateway within 2 miles), you can onboard a sensor. You can always check coverage at https://explorer.helium.com and switch to the "IoT" tab in the top right.