Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1448193
3 END OF YEAR REPORT 2018 Approved for distribution outside of the LoRa Alliance™ INTRODUCTION | 2019: YEAR OF SCALE AND MASS DEPLOYMENTS The rapid growth of urbanization globally is creating the need for new technologies, and specifically the Internet of Things (IoT), to develop smart solutions that can be delivered by a low-cost technology such as LoRaWAN™. This transformative technology can resolve many of the challenges faced as a result of the pressure that densely populated regions bring, as well as support very remote settings and even enterprise IoT requirements. For example, smart water metering solutions provide consumption control through monitoring and analysis, allowing for rapid detection of leak and remote shutdown, in addition to fraud and manipulation detection. All of these services reduce operating cost while making it less labor intensive. The IoT is also expected to have a significant impact on human welfare by supporting food production, clean water supply, efficient energy use, etc. As we look to 2019, we are confident that the IoT is on track to meet market forecasts of billions of devices by the mid 2020's. For all of these sensors to be connected, networking technology and remote management is a requirement. And while some installations will use a hybrid approach (e.g. a cellular backhaul to a LoRaWAN network), the reality is that to use low-power, wide-area networking (LPWAN) today, companies and end-users need to look to LoRaWAN. It is deploying globally, with a rapidly growing supply chain and network of public operators supporting the expanding IoT market. Ultimately, ROI is the key market driver, and word of mouth and strong use case examples are bringing new players to market every day. The vast LoRa Alliance™ member ecosystem is making IoT implementations and rollouts simpler, leveraging more comprehensive solutions that are available at a lower cost than ever before. Donna Moore, CEO & Chairwoman, LoRa Alliance ™