Measuring the Cost of LoRaWAN in the Long-Term

Concept13 Last Updated: February 13, 2025

Collected at: https://www.iotforall.com/lorawan-long-term-costs

The Internet of Things (IoT) means different things to different people. For consumers, it’s the ease of smart devices like Wi-Fi-enabled air fryers or robotic vacuums that make daily life simple. 

However, for organizations in sectors such as building management, utilities, digital connectivity, and public health, IoT is transformative and goes far beyond convenience. It provides fundamental, macro-level insights that are driving the new world and powering AI.  

In these sectors, smart devices provide essential data that can attenuate system operations, prioritize resources, flag alerts, and notify operators when specific conditions are met, or device tolerances are approached. In these scenarios, the ability to transmit and receive large amounts of data is secondary. Sensing devices must be reliable and low-maintenance, and because they need to be long-lived, they need to consume as little power as possible.  

LoRaWAN: A Technology Built for Long-Term Impact 

While the world marvels at the high-speed, high-bandwidth capabilities of 5G and Wi-Fi 7, industries increasingly turn to LoRaWAN as the go-to technology for IoT applications. Valued at $3.7 billion in 2024 and with a projected Annual Growth Rate of 41.1% from 2025 to 2034, ABI Research projects that, by 2026, LoRaWAN will be the leading non-cellular LPWAN technology, accounting for over half of all non-cellular connections. 

Offering long-range communication (both indoors and outdoors), license-free operation, and open standards, LoRaWAN delivers small, regular data packets with exceptional efficiency and reliability – making it an ideal solution for IoT deployments focused on practicality and long-term performance. 

Steven Drewett, CEO of the UK’s Concept13, explains: “It’s not about the high bandwidth, it’s the capability or capacity of sensors, often battery powered, and the numbers connecting. The whole concept of LoRaWAN is the reliable delivery of packets of very precise granular information: temperature, humidity, and water flow pressure for example.”  

Trusted UK, EU, and US Manufacturing Partners 

The value and benefit of LoRaWAN can come from the operators not having to return to devices for several years. However, Drewett went on to say that there’s a temptation to source devices from the lowest denominator suppliers, but buyers often regret going cheap at the point of purchase. 

“I think people get confused with what appear to be low cost as opposed to sensibly sourced,” he said. Resellers make good margins on grey imports of LoRaWAN hardware, but the end-user pays in short lifespans, device failures, and risks the costs to revisit difficult-to-access installations to replace units or batteries. While cheap imports seem cost-effective initially, their frequent failures, higher replacement rates, and maintenance needs result in costs that are 2-3 times higher over their lifespan. 

Concept13, celebrating ten years in LoRaWAN in 2025, learned these hard lessons early on. Drewett warns of the pitfalls, “We started by selling innovative cheap imports with high margins. Everything seemed fine for six months, but then units failed, batteries depleted, and the cost of replacing them – not to mention the damage to reputation – was significant.” 

Concept13 today exclusively only sells from trusted UK, EU, and US manufacturers.  The company focussed on selling higher quality production units, which, at the volumes it acquires, allows for lower margins, so the end unit costs are nearly identical. It is this focus on quality and volume, which drives the wider confidence of LoRaWAN and the adoption of the Internet of Things with its clients. 

Commitment to Longevity and Flexibility 

Concept13’s commitment to open standards means its hardware is not tied to proprietary systems, giving clients the freedom and flexibility to integrate and scale their IoT solutions. “We want LoRaWAN to be as ubiquitous as Wi-Fi,” says Drewett. “Our role is to ensure businesses have access to high-quality, dependable sensors and the expert guidance they need to make their IoT adoption a success.”  

Drewett envisions a future where LoRaWAN becomes the backbone of IoT deployments, “I would like to see LoRaWAN as being mainstream, adopted as much as today people talk about Wi-Fi. And I’d like to think that Concept13 is at the forefront of leading market adoption in terms of distribution of dependable hardware sensors and expert consultancy.”.   

However, Drewett cautions against the risks posed by low-cost, high-margin imports that often compromise on quality. “IoT engagement and early pilots can be derailed by misguided investments in low-grade devices,” he explains. “The true cost of these devices extends far beyond the initial purchase price, as frequent failures, short lifespans, and high maintenance costs can erode ROI and damage confidence in IoT solutions. The lifetime value of IoT devices should always be measured in years, not months.”