Semtech, Partners Build New Zealand Network

Technology developed by Semtech Corp. has been used in a wide area network covering more than half the population of New Zealand. The Camarillo company’s long-range radio frequency technology was used in gateways and sensors deployed by KotahiNet, a Wellington, New Zealand startup and Loriot, in Thalwil, Switzerland, for an Internet-of-Things network. Semtech, KotahiNet and Loriot are members of the LoRa Alliance, a group of 400 companies committed to developing standards for the use of long-range wide area networks for Internet-of-Things applications. Marc Pegulu, vice president and general manager of the wireless and sensing product group at Semtech, said the collaboration between the three companies shows how alliance members can work together to bring the Internet-of-Things to worldwide adoption. “Such collaboration also shows the value of the open LoRaWAN specification as it continues to bring hardware, software and networking companies together to drive innovative solutions for the IoT market and make the world a better place,” Pegulu said in a prepared statement. The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a tech industry phrase for the connecting of devices with sensors and software for the collection and exchange of data. Smartphones and tablets are part of the IoT but so are light switches, street lamps, water heaters, health monitors, manufacturing and industrial equipment, and toll collection systems. Semtech shares closed up 50 cents, or nearly 2 percent, to $27.48 on the Nasdaq.