Is it needed license for using Lora and Spirit?

[Pawe? Jab?o?ski]

Posted on May 11, 2017 at 10:33

Hi,

I would like to build my commercial applications with LoRa and Spirit using ST modules. Is it true, that I have to pay for license, even when I will use ready to use modules? If yes, where I have to buy that license and how much does it cost? I have to join to LoRa/Spirit association?

Thanks,

Pawe?

#spirit #lorawan #lora #license

[Julien Tiron_O]

Posted on May 14, 2017 at 10:37

Hello Pawel,

First of all, LoRa and Spirit1/S2-LP (Spirit1 new generation) are two completly separated technologies:

• ST is providing specific modules supporting LoRa communications (

  http://www.st.com/en/wireless-connectivity/lorawan-technology.html?querycriteria=productId=SC2150

  ). In this case, depending on your application, you can use your own deployed LoRa network or you can suscribe to a network provider to access Internet (with a fee).
• Regarding Spirit family, it is a classic sub-1GHz tranceiver supporting several frequencies and modulation schemes (

  http://www.st.com/en/wireless-connectivity/s2-lp.html

  ). It means that you can use a proprietary protocol or you can choose to communicate with

  https://www.sigfox.com/en

  to access Internet.

To sum up, the license and associated fees are linked to the fact that your application is accessing to an already deployed network or not.

Regards,

Julien

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on May 14, 2017 at 19:58

I'm not sure any of that would preclude someone suing you for patent infringement if they feel your product violates their rights in some way. ST is paying Semtech, but other might think they are due something.

http://rethinkresearch.biz/articles/semtech-announces-stmicro-lora-licensing-deal-microchip-launches-11-module/

 

The LoRa modules do work very well as sub-GHz radios, the broader networking options seem to be for very low network usages.