The city of Shanghai hosted one of the most anticipated events for the Chinese IoT industry—IOTE 2025. VP of Marketing and Applications for wireless products at Semtech, Robert Comanescu, attended the event and took part in a key panel discussion on "Empowering Smart Buildings, Cities & Utilities with IoT Solutions" alongside CEO of the LoRa® Alliance, Alper Yegin, and Cheney Li, business cooperation manager at Milesight. The event brought together global leaders, innovators and visionaries in the Internet of Things (IoT) space.
The panelists on the stage
"I was impressed to see the presence of the multitude of LoRa® product offerings at different booths in the IoT hall. The LoRa ecosystem partner booths were generating significant traffic, likely among the busiest at the show,” said Mr. Comanescu.
Before Comanescu took the stage, Yegin delivered a powerful reflection on LoRaWAN®’s remarkable journey - from a nascent wireless innovation to a transformative global force reshaping industries and communities. Yegin emphasized LoRaWAN’s core strengths: its open architecture, ultra-low power consumption and the collaborative power of the LoRa Alliance ecosystem. Looking ahead, he painted a bold vision of LoRaWAN scaling to massive IoT deployments and evolving into utility-grade infrastructure—cementing its role as a cornerstone of the connected future.
Cheney spoke about how LoRa® technology is transforming conventional buildings into smart, sustainable spaces. By addressing inefficiencies in energy use, comfort and automation, Milesight’s IoT sensors optimize HVAC, lighting, air quality, and more. Their solutions enable real-time, intelligent LoRa powered smart buildings and are paving the way for a greener, more efficient future on a worldwide scale.
A key highlight from Comanescu's presentation was how LoRa serves as the backbone of low-power IoT, powering over 450 million devices worldwide across public and private networks. Major deployments include Zenner (9.5M), Actility (4.3M, 50% CAGR), TTI (3M, 40% CAGR), and Netmore (3M). LoRa leads the LPWAN space, commanding over 50% of IC shipments and 35% of all LPWAN connections.
Comanescu also took the opportunity to present Semtech’s 4th generation LoRa transceiver, LoRa Plus™ LR2021 and the One channel Hub reference design. The LR2021 supports sub-GHz and 2.4GHz bands with enhanced sensitivity and multi-PHY capabilities. These innovations are designed to support high-speed, location-aware and energy-efficient applications across multiple markets, spanning from metering to security systems.
Robert Comanescu presenting Semtech's LR2021 at the event
The One-Channel Hub network architecture was recently introduced to reduce the total cost of ownership for LoRaWAN networks coordinating a few dozen end-nodes. This architecture is ideal for smart homes, small scale deployments in buildings or commercial or industrial premises, offering seamless integration with Wi-Fi hotspots and LoRaWAN infrastructure.
IOTE 2025 Shanghai was more than just a showcase of technology—it was a glimpse into the future of connected intelligence. From smart home to industrial automation, the innovations presented reaffirmed that we are on the cusp of a new era in IoT.
At Semtech, we are excited to continue our journey with the LoRa Alliance and partners, building solutions that are not only intelligent but also sustainable and scalable. To learn more, reach out to us. You can also register to catch us from August 27-29, at the IOTE Shenzen show.
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