Semtech on the Amazon Sidewalk

Semtech Corp. has partnered with Amazon.com Inc. on its new wireless network, Amazon Sidewalk, launching later this year. The Camarillo semiconductor and Internet-of-Things products supplier will make available to the Seattle e-commerce retailer its long-range, low-power LoRa platform for the Amazon Sidewalk network.Amazon Sidewalk is a free network for Amazon customers that allows them to simplify new device setup, extend the low-bandwidth working range of devices and help devices stay online and up-to-date even if they are outside the range of home Wi-Fi.The LoRa platform extends the range of a customer’s home network to connect outdoor with low-bandwidth smart home products, including smart lights, pet trackers, sensors for asset tracking, smart irrigation and a multitude of additional low-cost devices for residential use, the company said. Chief Executive Mohan Maheswaran said LoRa meets Amazon Sidewalk’s goal of providing the network support needed to connect a range of low-power home devices or sensors.“The collaboration with Amazon solidifies that LoRa is the de facto platform for (Internet-of-Things low-power wide-area network) applications and expands LoRa to new consumer applications,” Maheswaran said in a statement.According to a September 2019 report from IHS Markit, the global smart home market is expected to grow to more than $192 billion by 2023. That is an increase of 368 percent from the expected revenues of $41 billion in 2018. While current networks for smart devices in the home are limited in connectivity and range, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Semtech’s LoRa technology and Amazon Sidewalk gives customers access to smart home products that work out of the box with an extended battery life and connectivity, the company said. Blake Kozak, principal analyst for IHS Markit, said in a release about the company’s report that the brilliance of the smart home is that it can be molded to suit the requirements of the consumer – from the strictest demands of power users to the simplest needs of dabblers.The smart-home market has grown into a consumer technology heavyweight, one that is eager to move beyond the basics of security and single-family homes and into unknown opportunities, Kozak said. “However, these uncharted opportunities are coming with concerns about privacy and the technology’s readiness for primetime,” he added in a statement. “The remainder of 2019 and start of 2020 will be a pivotal time for the smart-home market as companies and service providers fine-tune their strategies and reposition to compete with the smart home juggernauts—as well as newcomers looking to upend the status quo.”