Semtech, Swarm Deliver Satellite Communications with LoRa

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Semtech Corporation, a leading supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced that Swarm Technologies, a global satellite communications network developer, has integrated Semtech’s LoRa® devices into its connectivity solution that enables two-way communications to and from its satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

“Because Semtech’s LoRa technology is well suited for long distance, low power and wide area coverage applications, it has opened up new Internet of Things (IoT) use cases for Swarm in areas such as logistics, agriculture, connected cars, and energy,” said Ben Longmier, CTO and co-founder of Swarm. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Semtech by utilizing LoRa to help us provide affordable global connectivity for IoT devices at an unprecedented scale.”

Swarm incorporates LoRa on Very High Frequency (VHF) frequencies for uplink and downlink to its satellites from the ground. The network is commercially live, with 72 commercial satellites providing 100 percent global coverage. Swarm plans to deploy a total of 150 commercial satellites by the end of 2021, which are expected to bring latency times down to less than one minute. The user modems, which are integrated into IoT devices, communicate with the satellites, enabling reliable data transfer anywhere on Earth, at all times. 

“Semtech and Swarm are working jointly to pursue commercial IoT applications that require less data-intensive communications and fill in the gaps of the existing satellite market,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President of IoT Product Marketing for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “The combination of our technologies helps provide reliable and affordable connectivity that keep sensors, equipment and assets connected across land and sea.”