Rémi Demerlé, senior leader at Semtech and a long-time contributor to the LoRaWAN ecosystem, talks about where LoRaWAN is heading next as the technology moves beyond its first decade of large-scale deployments.

Rather than revisiting familiar smart metering ground, Rémi offers a forward-looking view into emerging network models and new classes of applications. He explains how real-world deployment challenges have led to the development of mobile and drive-by LoRaWAN gateways, including trucks equipped to collect data in areas where fixed infrastructure isn’t possible. That same thinking is now evolving toward fly-by collection, opening the door to drones and other mobile platforms as part of future LoRaWAN architectures.

Rémi also discusses upcoming work within the LoRa Alliance around network discovery, a specification designed to support these mobile collection scenarios and extend coverage in hard-to-reach environments. He explores how alternative radio modes like FLRC expand bandwidth on existing LoRa hardware, enabling new use cases that sit outside traditional low-data sensor models.

Looking ahead, the conversation touches on how LoRaWAN data feeds into AI-driven analytics, particularly for anomaly detection and operational optimization, and how this combination shifts value creation from connectivity alone to actionable insight. Rémi closes by highlighting LoRaWAN’s growing role in renewable energy, including monitoring and control of solar infrastructure at massive scale, where radio performance in dense metal environments and low operational cost become decisive advantages.

Links:

Remí on LinkedIn

Semtech

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Today's guest on Meteo Scientific's.

2

The Business of LoRaWAN is Remí Demerlé

a senior leader

3

at Semtech and a key

figure in the global LoRaWAN ecosystem,

4

particularly in large scale

utility and smart metering deployments.

5

We talk about what LoRaWAN adoption

looks like today, including the milestone

6

of more than 125 million connected devices

globally, and why smart water metering

7

has emerged as the largest and most proven

use case by volume, no pun intended.

8

We dig into how utilities approach

private versus public LoRaWAN networks,

9

how the Lora alliance supports long term

investments through interoperability,

10

and why alignment with existing

metering standards like DMs, OMS and U.S.

11

utility protocols is critical

for large scale adoption.

12

Remi explains newer developments as well,

including drive by data

13

collection, emerging AI driven analytics

for lead detection,

14

and how LoRaWAN is expanding into adjacent

areas like renewable energy monitoring.

15

This episode is sponsored

16

by the Helium Foundation and is dedicated

to spreading knowledge about LoRaWAN.

17

If you'd like to try Harlem's

publicly available global network for free

18

and support

the show, sign up at Mexico Council.

19

Now let's dig into the conversation

with Remí Demerlé.

20

Remí, welcome to the show, man.

21

Thank you for coming

on. It's a pleasure, Nik.

22

I'm excited to have you on

because you've had so much experience

23

with where I think LoRaWAN really shines

and has the most kind of potential

24

for global growth,

which is this utilities metering piece.

25

Let's start maybe

by talking about the measurable stuff.

26

What are you seeing in LoRaWAN

deployments at scale.

27

Like what's

what's going on in the world right now?

28

Yeah, it's

perhaps a story that started ten years ago

29

because in 2025,

we celebrated the ten year anniversary,

30

and today we are excited with the onions.

31

To repeat that, we passed the 125

32

million of connections with LoRaWAN.

33

That means installed devices operated

34

by different type of network operators.

35

So it's also important to mention that

36

it's used in many countries

and in many applications.

37

Yeah, it is.

38

I mean, it's cool to see it

kind of across the world when you think

39

about where it's being used

and how it's being used.

40

Where does smart metering

have the most potential?

41

Is it in a vertical

like just water meters,

42

like all water

meters is going to grow the most?

43

Or is it more like a place like India,

like India is going to explode?

44

Or is it something else

where you think, oh,

45

this is where smart metering

has most potential?

46

Yeah.

47

I mean, firstly, smart water

metering is the largest use case by volume

48

where no one that's proven

to be a very good choice for utilities.

49

And we have several deployment parties,

50

of course, in Europe

and in Asia in Africa.

51

And we we them of course, may be

52

oh, go back to the origin of low

Lora is a radio modulation

53

that was created to perform

better than a phase scale modulation.

54

That's, I would say, may be a mystery,

55

a caller point that a few people know,

56

but it was designed to be more robust

in terms of interference

57

because it would be used

in the free license event Ice.

58

And then,

59

it would have to survive

60

through other radio transmissions.

61

It has also to perform very,

62

I would say some more than 20 messages

that can be numerous.

63

But that duty cycle is essentially

in a region like Europe where there is

64

a duty cycle that means 1% of your time

you can't speak the rest.

65

We must be silent.

66

So the use case of smart water

67

is really when matched by these

constraints, I mean, low transmission

68

but frequent, not so many data transport,

69

I would say in bags

plus, alarms press other values.

70

Enough.

71

So the water metering is a very good case.

72

And that's where I'm at.

73

The inventors of aloha,

74

worked hard to, increase.

75

Some I, we say aspect.

76

That's

where coming from other radio modulation.

77

But here with Lora,

it was also combined with very low power

78

local where that comes from I,

we say expertise of Semtech.

79

And when Semtech acquired on the radio

80

modulation

and all the IP, they combined together

81

the capacity to communicate in long

range and, pure transmissions

82

with the value of,

small power consumption.

83

All together,

it created the Doha, success.

84

Yeah, yeah,

I mean, you guys, but I from Nicolas

85

and his and his buddies and,

and built something pretty cool with it.

86

When you think about private versus

public LoRaWAN

87

as Semtech, you kind of see everything

because you're the ones selling the chips.

88

What are

you seeing as far as patterns emerging?

89

Or it seems like most companies

are just using their own private LoRaWAN.

90

But we've seen the rise of

of public LoRaWAN as well.

91

Is there something

92

there that's interesting to you

that you guys are watching?

93

Okay, maybe to, eliminate

a risk of confusion when we say private

94

versus public, it's, always the same

95

LoRaWAN protocol behind private means.

96

It's dedicated to one enterprise,

one perhaps several application, but

97

one enterprise and a part open for any,

I would say customer.

98

There are multiple examples of

we say I have to get shown that, design

99

for example,

for monitoring referees or a campus.

100

It's a thought that the private

on the side of public operators, we have,

101

for example,

Roche and France, KPN islands,

102

but we have also community, network

like the things network

103

for that is typically an open

and public community based network.

104

Now there are other usage

105

of local radio, but for other protocols.

106

Not that I'm not one.

107

That's explaining why, minion of no chips

sold by Semtech,

108

because here on the

I is also used in other contexts.

109

For example, we have mesh networks

using Lora or modulation.

110

Yeah.

111

It's gotten crazy

112

in the last year or two at the mesh tastic

and the connect mesh in general.

113

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm actually

working on a project myself that uses both

114

most mesh and LoRaWAN,

so switches back and forth.

115

So we'll see

if I can make that magic work.

116

But separate conversation. Let's see.

117

One of the things that you do is kind of

118

build this LoRaWAN ecosystem for folks

who are listening.

119

How would they participate in the events

that you're putting on,

120

or just being a part

of the whole LoRaWAN ecosystem?

121

What do you recommend?

122

Yeah, I mean, the

123

benefits of LoRaWAN is beyond

the technology.

124

It's about the ecosystem.

125

That ecosystem,

which is a nonprofit association

126

that existed since 2050 Mac.

127

So ten years anniversary again,

128

and I also propose is to maintain

129

and continue

to develop the LoRaWAN specification.

130

So that's one thing.

131

It's a create, a common base

and also a reliable protocol

132

that it can be used for free

for all members.

133

It's also an ecosystem

where you find that certification of,

134

low compliance for the end devices,

135

which gives two point up advantage

136

to have one network

supporting different vendors.

137

Different, I mean, different devices

made by different vendors.

138

And with no risks.

139

Then for them,

I would say very meaty of solution.

140

They can also mix at different types

of gateways, etc..

141

So LoRaWAN a small number,

so to speak, define it by the anions

142

and recognized by ITU,

the International Telecommunication Union

143

create a fundamental security

for long term investment.

144

Yeah.

145

Is the, the ability to participate

and to kind of jump in.

146

So it sounds like one of the things

I'm hearing is if you want to build in

147

the system is just check out

the Lora Alliance, see what they're doing,

148

go to the events, attend the webinars,

kind of learn learn from those folks.

149

And I know when I walk around the Lora

Alliance booths at the various exhibits,

150

the vendors seem pretty collegial.

151

They seem pretty friendly with each other,

even if they're competing.

152

And you see, you know,

two sets of water meters on the wall,

153

they're both pretty friendly

and saying like,

154

hey, this, this business is hard enough.

155

Let's just generally work together

and help each other build it.

156

You said something about interoperability

that I want to talk about, because I know

157

you've spent some time on DMs and Cosme,

why does LoRaWAN need to align with them?

158

And then how does that work?

159

Yeah, I mean, I'm pushing for

160

the end customer,

the benefit to have, for example,

161

kind of different vendors

or so simplification of integration,

162

all these result in

I would say the effort

163

to support the metering standards

you miss is one of those.

164

It's a standard

defined by DMs Association.

165

And we created a liaison

166

We say a year.

167

And or so with investment

from a post association to support

168

that the NMS profile.

169

Overall, I want as a result for a metering

application, electricity, water, gas.

170

Today you can rely on this profile

of communication that is a standard

171

and you can find the meters,

172

deploy it and,

make sure that all the that, that you're

173

connecting to your a meter data

management system speak the same language.

174

Beside the NMS

you have also OMS which is more European

175

oriented YMCA open metering system.

176

It's foundation based in Germany.

177

And regrouping the major

meter vendors again

178

and also some utilities to, commonly

agree on the certification scheme.

179

So that's two example.

180

The other one, that too

we could mention is at the censorship

181

protocol, UI 2 or 3 that is today

182

adopted by American Waterworks

Association.

183

It's, commonly used by all meter

manufacturers in North America.

184

And we have at the Alliance several beta

185

interface units

that are available today on the market.

186

And we have described how to support this

187

That's a documentation

that is for the benefit of members.

188

Got it.

189

So it sounds like the kind of Semtex

190

Lora Alliance

strategy is to go find these standards

191

and then make sure that LoRaWAN integrates

with them super easily

192

so that you have the meter on one side,

whatever it is,

193

whether it's a water meter, energy meter,

you know, people counter whatever it is,

194

and it just makes it really easy to

to integrate LoRaWAN with it.

195

That seems like the

the general business strategy.

196

It seems pretty smart.

197

Yeah.

198

I mean, it's not so unique

because you will find,

199

the communication media that can support,

metering standards as well.

200

But it gives, for example,

an advantage to it that gas in theory

201

to deploy meters,

that they can either use a LoRaWAN

202

or a cellular network

and still speak the same language.

203

We understand that if we want

to create that option, we want there.

204

So to bring clear benefits,

one of those easy, easy to integrate,

205

no vendor looking easy or so to interpret.

206

And if you want to to

to put your feet in the shoes

207

of a utility having 20 years contract.

208

That's the case of

for with our metering project,

209

the requirement for us is 20 years.

210

You must be sure that over these 20 years,

if you have to replace

211

or do something different or to upgrade,

you will not be stuck or I.

212

We say locked with only one solution.

213

So that's one of the big things

because I get asked the question like,

214

why not just use whatever cell towers

and give each

215

each device its own little cell plan?

216

And that seems like

one thing that I've missed before is that

217

that requires this really long term

lock in that LoRaWAN just doesn't have.

218

Or you could deploy your own gateways,

219

or you could use a public network

and switch networks.

220

Not super easily, but more easily

221

But I mean, you have

a proven example of, of so of

222

one company

223

had, chosen one operator

I want to operate.

224

I mean, and,

that LoRaWAN operator finally,

225

so them and the old devices are migrated

to the new one.

226

Not, of course, final customer,

227

because here

there is no SIM cap to replace.

228

You can do this remotely.

229

And the device joined the new network.

230

So that's a process that works

well when we become in France.

231

Stop activity.

232

So continuity of service can be performed

because of the benefit of having

233

a standard protocol and also a process

that can facilitate migration.

234

The long term view of utilities

make are so important

235

for having an ecosystem

that can provide different suppliers.

236

That's also the end device

interoperability.

237

Interoperability,

if you want, is at the level of operator

238

as well as at the level of the device.

239

That's a good point.

240

I also kind of forget that

it's just a single user where,

241

you know, my water meter fails.

242

I could just go out and replace it,

no big deal.

243

But if you got a million of them,

you can't just go out and replace.

244

Or if you know you have a million

and 200,000, go go bad or whatever it is,

245

if that original company

that made them is out of business,

246

it's pretty difficult to replace that.

247

But if just this LoRaWAN network standard,

you just got to throw some more LoRaWAN

248

meters on it. Okay. Super cool.

249

Are there any places that you're seeing

utility

250

LoRaWAN deployments still fail

kind of regularly.

251

Is it RF, is it operations, procurement,

data integration?

252

Are there

253

things that are still kind of pretty

big challenges for these larger players?

254

Yeah, there are certain areas

where deployment of network

255

can be problematic in Israel,

where Arda has deployed 1,000,000m

256

and connected them there, there were areas

where they could not installed gateways.

257

So they are using a drive by system,

258

using a truck to collect meter data,

from Poe core.

259

So the truck has like a mobile gateway

260

on it

that just goes around and collects data.

261

And that's,

I would say, one of the ground bases

262

that we used to develop

a new specification that is now,

263

I would say ready for a review

by technical committee.

264

It's called network Discovery.

265

So the lines will communicate

266

about the availability

of this specification,

267

which result in the drive by

or eventually fly by.

268

You could also do

a be submitted to collect. Yeah

269

yeah yeah with drones.

270

And this is Arad out of Israel is Arad

is that right?

271

Yes. Correct. Yeah.

272

Those Israelis,

they're they got their technical chops.

273

They're pretty good at that stuff.

274

Other than when I would say

the LoRaWAN can be a choice

275

that you considered with some,

I would say less advantage.

276

It's when you want a smaller latency,

when you want to, for example, pilot

277

things or so to support large bandwidth

video streaming for exoplanets.

278

But for some use case

we have Semtech here.

279

We have develop flex,

which is another modulation allowing

280

to transmit very, stronger files

281

and also capable to, support small video

streams.

282

It's HD, same hardware,

but with a different modulation

283

that is increasing bandwidth.

284

You kind of reach 2.6mbps.

285

So, with that,

you can multiplex different chip

286

and have quite good performances

287

and that will work on current hardware or

will that need new hardware to it to you?

288

Same low hardware. It's good.

289

Typically

in the latest generation of chip plus

290

all right.

291

I'll explore that for this balloon project

that I'm working on,

292

which would be super cool

if you could occasionally shoot some video

293

or at least even send pictures

back, is pretty cool.

294

And I guess we would be remiss in 2026

if we didn't talk about some AI stuff.

295

Is there a smart

296

metering an eye play out there

that companies should be getting into?

297

Are you seeing folks

kind of build it into what they're doing?

298

Is it still something where it's like,

299

right, here's the LoRaWAN and here's AI

that takes all the information.

300

What are you seeing?

301

Not, like you say,

capable to feed the data.

302

That is necessary for AI application

to perform

303

and to, of course, provide more insights.

304

Yeah.

305

And to create,

I would say better detection.

306

Let's take again the example of smart

what dormitory a smart water

307

meter is commonly considered

as a a tax meter.

308

Okay.

309

You you have it because you want to

measure how much water you consume.

310

And the utility will be typically 1

or 2 times a year.

311

But what are the benefits

of connecting the meter?

312

It's not only for automated feeding,

it's also for detection of possible leaks.

313

Sure, to do that, you need more data.

314

You need more frequent measure points.

315

And you will have also the

the ability to detect leaks

316

after

or before the meter is through analysis.

317

So the data analysis

you can either perform, on the cloud

318

or you can perform on the edge

or eventually on the meter,

319

depending on the

AI code that you will embed

320

or that you would deploy

at the edge of the network.

321

So that's one I would say you, I think

Future Driver forum an increased benefit.

322

And we see in UK at the

there is an explosive

323

momentum in 2025 and 2000.

324

The 24 hours would be the last two years

we have seen that 5 million of water

325

meters added up to different operators,

with also

326

a challenge to reduce water leaks.

327

It's a, I would say, one of the factors

328

for adoption of smart metering,

not only speeding, but

329

enabling water savings

330

and also reducing water consumptions.

331

Yeah.

332

Although there's there's

a pretty big part of that.

333

That's got to be the customer

communication piece

334

where you say like, hey, we've noticed

you have a leak.

335

Here's what you can do about it.

336

You know, versus just saying,

okay, hey, there's there's a leak here.

337

I was I got a funny story about this.

338

I was just getting into bed

the other night.

339

Get into bed

all tucked in next to my wife.

340

And she's like, hey,

do you hear water leaking?

341

And I said, no, like, I'm.

342

I don't hear any water leaking.

343

Because of course,

after about five minutes,

344

I get up and I go looking around the house

345

for whatever she heard,

and there was nothing there.

346

But it was.

347

It's one of those things

where I think about

348

if that becomes a an automated piece

349

where the the water company,

350

the San Diego Water or whoever

it is in your town says like, hey,

351

not only have we detected a leak,

but we think it's your shower,

352

or we think it's your toilet,

353

or we think it's your garden hose,

why don't you go check it?

354

And if you check it, here's

some incentive to fix it.

355

Other than spending more money

because water is still pretty cheap here,

356

despite

being one of the most expensive in the US.

357

Is that kind of what you see the next

moves being with this integration of AI

358

and this huge amount of data

coming in from these really

359

big smart water metering deployments,

what you're touching already is,

360

I would say, supported and detected

by what we call the, steady night flow

361

that mean over night you can detect

there is abnormal consumption.

362

Yeah.

363

On the other end that you can detect

certain types of water consumption.

364

That is typically a sign of control.

365

And I will say misbehavior or abnormal

behavior that can be for example.

366

Yeah, people a sign of that is oriented

in terms of time and detection

367

where overnight

this is used in some for elderly people.

368

You can better think about the water leaks

before the meter.

369

I mean before yeah. Your exposure.

370

Yeah with the leak.

371

But where the utility is responsible

for the water pipe, the management

372

and the are much I would say

more considerable in terms for you.

373

One leak can represent a swimming pool

at the end of the year.

374

So that's where there is today.

375

Benefits to find.

376

To take an example, net more in UK

377

for deployment with Yorkshire Water

in the early stage of deployment

378

they were able to identify and save 1.2

379

million liters saved by finding leaks.

380

Yeah.

381

For I will say a portion of the,

large deployment.

382

I mean, when you deploy, with no one,

you can

383

tactically identify the heavy consumers.

384

You can identify areas

where you're quite sure

385

there are some leaks,

but you don't know where.

386

And by installing meters,

you will technically create

387

a segmentation

that will help you to locate better.

388

And with its AI techniques and data

analysis,

389

that's called district metering area.

390

You can also isolate segments of network

where there is a potentially.

391

Yeah, I remember talking to actually

in this podcast of fell out of Bulgaria

392

and he was saying that they

393

don't the water metering companies don't

care so much about individual houses.

394

But the biggest lost is was it

non-technical losses, which is there,

395

what they call stealing, where

the water company is concerned about that

396

because they have to pay for the energy

to pump the water either way.

397

So they don't care so much about the lost

water. It's just the energy to pump it.

398

And that represents a business expense

that they.

399

Yeah, that's also one of the upside.

400

If you monitor pressure

as well as if you're using it.

401

Now see a meter to exactly detect

when the water firm

402

is actually make too much current.

403

Then you could improve the efficiency

404

of your total network and distribution.

405

I mean, what are network distribution.

406

So efficiency improvement

can be from 8% to more.

407

And that's considerable

because that will result in a of course,

408

lower cost for some of the infrastructure

and a better approach to more efficiency.

409

I want it not also to forget it's

not only the meter that is capable to a

410

and A utilities to identify leaks.

411

There are also water leak detectors,

acoustic leak detectors that exist.

412

And these devices are very good

at a premium

413

to locate

exactly where the possible leaks exist.

414

Oh interesting. That.

415

Does that mean that

416

these either flow meters or leak

detectors are being installed

417

throughout the systems,

and not just at the

418

at the homes or businesses

where there are water meters? Okay.

419

Oh, that seems super, super cool.

420

Remi, I don't want to take up

too much of your time.

421

Was there anything else that you wanted

to hit before we close out here?

422

Absolutely.

423

The, not only this, records in terms

424

of adoption for metering,

425

there are so, for example, connections

for solar and then,

426

to monitor the orientation of solar panel

427

and I'm sure that would be,

of interest to us.

428

So we expect, big growth in this market,

429

that about 600 million of solar panel

to be deployed and connected.

430

It's a next to four years.

431

And that's, promising LoRaWAN

as an advantage.

432

It's performed so very well

in that metal environment as well.

433

So great. Yeah. So do that.

434

So you can

435

connect, more easily at these, solar panel

436

to, make the orientation

and to avoid, for example,

437

hardware in, to blast, the solar panel

438

by hitting the panel when necessary.

439

DSM, I would say kind of, trackers

as they are code

440

today

available to reserve page for example.

441

And that's one of the key area where we,

442

we push for the development

and for better wireless.

443

So I wanted to highlight not only metering

but also, renewable energy.

444

You know,

that's going to be a big one. Yeah.

445

Especially as we make that switch.

Well that's super cool.

446

It's good to hear that

you guys are crushing at Semtech

447

and you're paying attention

all this stuff and and bring it up.

448

Thanks so much for making the time today.

I know you're super busy.

449

Appreciate you.

450

Carving out half an hour

force was a great visual.

451

Thank you. And

452

that's it for

this episode of The Business of LoRaWAN.

453

If you want to go deeper

and actually deploy devices,

454

the medio Scientific Console

is the fastest way to do that.

455

And honestly, it's

also the best way to support the show.

456

When you use the console, you're not just

listening, you're participating

457

in the same real world LoRaWAN work

we talk about here every week.

458

You can get started with the free trial

at MeteoScientific.com.

459

Huge thanks to the sponsor of the show,

the Helium Foundation,

460

for supporting open LoRaWAN

infrastructure.

461

Alright,

check them out at helium.foundation.

462

If the show has been useful.

463

A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts

or wherever you listen.

464

This really helps

465

people find it and helps the show grow

so we can help more people.

466

I'm Nick Cox with Minio scientific.

467

I'll catch you on the next episode.