Recently, Eric joined Nik Hawks on the MetSci Show for a deep dive into why LoRaWAN continues to be the backbone of ObjectSpectrum’s deployments from commercial buildings to university campuses to unattended vacation properties. It’s a must-listen for anyone serious about building scalable, reliable IoT systems.
And yes, I’m biased. He’s my business partner and the Founder & CEO of ObjectSpectrum. But if you listen to the episode, I think you’ll agree: when it comes to deploying real-world IoT, Eric’s one of the best in the business.
Why LoRaWAN? It’s the Ecosystem, Not Just the Spec Sheet
Eric’s been all-in on LoRaWAN since 2016 – back when most people hadn’t heard the term. He saw early on that solving connectivity in agriculture (i.e., in remote areas) required a protocol that was long-range, low-power, and flexible.
But what made LoRaWAN a smart bet? The ecosystem. Today, over 90% of the devices our projects require are available off the shelf, from thousands of developers and manufacturers worldwide. That means faster deployment, lower costs, and proven reliability.
Eric puts it perfectly: “Technology X might be better than LoRaWAN. But I don’t care, there’s no ecosystem.”
If you’ve ever had to choose between VHS and Betamax, you get it. The best technology doesn’t always win. The one with the best support, tools, and supply chain does.
Understanding LoRaWAN: What It Is and What It Isn’t
For the uninitiated, LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power, wide-area networking protocol built for IoT. It’s ideal for sensors that send small packets of data over long distances, all while sipping battery power.
Benefits:
- Long-range wireless communication (miles, not feet)
- Battery life measured in years, not hours
- Works well in dense urban areas and remote rural regions
- Thriving ecosystem of hardware and cloud providers
Limitations:
- It’s not built for high-bandwidth use cases (like streaming video)
- In-building coverage can be limited – Eric points out that Helium, for example, struggles with indoor penetration
- Best for use cases with lots of low-power devices clustered together
ObjectSpectrum makes LoRaWAN shine by integrating it with multi-network backbones (like Netmore and Helium), and deploying redundant gateways with 100% overlap on separate cellular carriers, ensuring five-nines uptime for mission-critical infrastructure.
Prism: Our Not-So-Secret Weapon
If LoRaWAN is the connectivity layer, Prism is the application engine. After searching high and low for a platform that could meet telecom-grade expectations and finding nothing, Eric built it himself.
Prism is:
- Infrastructure-agnostic (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, bare metal – you choose)
- 70% modular by design (which means fast, custom deployments without vendor lock-in)
- Protocol-flexible (LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, satellite – whatever the project needs)
And while we have some technical customers who build directly on Prism, most rely on us to deliver a turnkey solution, from sensor to dashboard. It’s one of the reasons our deployments don’t stall out after the pilot phase.
Use Cases That Work in the Wild
In the podcast, Eric walks through several real-world examples, such as our work with Ziosk, which involves managing hundreds of thousands of Android-based kiosks in restaurants. Or our LoRaWAN-based vacation rental solution that monitors water leaks, HVAC, power, and septic systems using off-the-shelf sensors and cellular backhaul. And here’s a case study of one very, very large example.
In every case, the formula is the same:
- Start with the right technology (which might be LoRaWAN – but not always)
- Build on infrastructure that’s designed for uptime and scale
- Deliver real value to the end user
Looking Up: Satellite LoRaWAN and the Rise of NTN
The next wave of innovation? Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). Providers like Lacuna are launching LoRaWAN-compatible satellites, making it possible to get coverage in places traditional networks just can’t reach.
Eric’s excited, and so am I. Because once we can use standard LoRaWAN devices to connect via space, without being locked into a single vendor like the now-defunct Swarm, the scalability equation changes dramatically.
Multiple players are entering the NTN space (Skylo, SpaceX, Myriota, and more), and a year from now, we will be looking at a completely different IoT connectivity landscape.
If You’re in the IoT Business…
You need to hear this episode. Eric’s clarity, experience, and practical advice make it one of the best breakdowns of LoRaWAN’s role in scalable IoT deployments I’ve heard in a long time.
Listen to the full episode of The MetSci Show here: MetSci Show – The Business of LoRaWAN
Know someone doing meaningful work in LoRaWAN? Nik Hawks wants to hear from you. Connect at MetSci Show (or his LinkedIn account) and help grow the global conversation.