New hardware, software, and modem reference architecture accelerates ecosystem development for carrier-grade LPWAN; FCC-authorized Environmental Sensor validates commercial readiness
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IotaComm®, a digital infrastructure company powering Physical Artificial Intelligence (Physical AI) for smart buildings and smart cities, today announced its 800 MHz LoRaWAN® Reference Design, a complete hardware, software, and modem architecture purpose-built for developing devices that operate on FCC-licensed spectrum. Alongside the reference design launch, IotaComm announced that its Environmental Sensor, the first commercial device built on this platform, has received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equipment authorization, validating the reference design’s readiness for commercial-scale deployment.
The 800 MHz Reference Design provides device manufacturers, system integrators, and enterprise developers with a proven foundation for building LoRaWAN® products that leverage IotaComm’s FCC-licensed 800 MHz spectrum holdings (authorized under FCC Part 90 for 809.0–817.0 MHz operation). The reference design encompasses certified modem hardware, embedded software stack, and integration documentation, reducing the engineering lift required to bring licensed-spectrum LPWAN devices to market.
Why a licensed-spectrum reference design matters
Until now, LoRaWAN® device development has centered almost exclusively on unlicensed ISM-band operation. While the 915 MHz ISM band offers broad ecosystem alignment and deployment flexibility, critical infrastructure and industrial applications increasingly require the managed-spectrum characteristics that licensed operation provides: predictable interference profiles, coordinated coverage planning, and the operational certainty that comes with exclusive spectrum rights.
The 800 MHz Reference Design addresses this gap by giving the ecosystem a standardized path to licensed-spectrum device development, without sacrificing LoRaWAN® interoperability or requiring proprietary approaches.
Environmental Sensor: First device, first FCC authorization
IotaComm’s 800 MHz Environmental Sensor is the inaugural device built on the 800 MHz Reference Design and carries Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equipment authorization for commercial deployment. It provides continuous environmental monitoring over IotaComm’s 800 MHz licensed LoRaWAN® network, collecting and transmitting real-time data on temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). Its gas sensor detects and estimates key volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including ethane, isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene), ethanol, acetone, and carbon monoxide, supporting deployments across smart buildings and other indoor monitoring environments.
The Environmental Sensor’s FCC authorization serves as both a product milestone and a proof point for the reference design itself, demonstrating that devices built on this architecture can achieve regulatory approval and move from prototype to production deployment.
IotaWave™: Dual-band deployment flexibility
IotaComm will bring these capabilities to market through IotaWave™, its dual-band LoRaWAN® network strategy pairing nationwide licensed 800 MHz spectrum with the 915 MHz ISM band. Customers can choose the licensed 800 MHz layer when managed-spectrum performance is required or leverage the 915 MHz ISM layer when unlicensed deployment economics and broad ecosystem alignment are the priority—all within a standards-based, interoperable framework.
What the reference design and FCC authorization enable
With the 800 MHz Reference Design now available and the Environmental Sensor FCC-authorized, IotaComm can support:
- Accelerated device development for partners building licensed-spectrum LoRaWAN® products
- Commercial-scale deployment of environmental monitoring across large facilities and distributed footprints
- Greater network planning certainty for customers requiring managed-spectrum performance
- Expanded readiness for critical infrastructure applications where predictable connectivity underpins safety, compliance, and operational continuity
“The 800 MHz Reference Design is the foundation we’ve been building toward. This milestone completes the foundational network components required to extend LoRaWAN® into licensed spectrum, materially increasing the value and utility of our spectrum assets,” said Terrence DeFranco, CEO & Chairman of IotaComm. “IotaComm now occupies a unique position in the LoRaWAN® ecosystem, offering a licensed LPWAN purpose-built for critical infrastructure, utilities, and healthcare, while maintaining interoperability with standard LoRaWAN® deployments. This dual-layer network strategy enables Delphi360® to collect and analyze data others simply cannot, reinforcing our leadership position in the large, rapidly growing smart infrastructure markets.”
“We designed this reference architecture to collapse the complexity of licensed-spectrum device development—from modem certification through software integration to field deployment,” said Wael Guibene, Senior Vice President of Product and Technology at IotaComm. “The Environmental Sensor is the first product off this platform, but the reference design is built to support a roadmap of devices. Combined with Delphi360® for network management and analytics, we’re giving customers a complete stack from edge to insight.”
Availability
The 800 MHz LoRaWAN® Reference Design is available now to qualified partners and device developers. IotaComm is engaging with partners and customers to evaluate:
- Device development using the 800 MHz Reference Design
- Smart buildings and indoor environmental quality monitoring
- Utilities and smart infrastructure
- Municipal and public-sector monitoring
- Industrial operations and distributed asset visibility
To discuss the reference design, deployment planning, or partnerships, contact IotaComm at contact@iotacomm.com.
Market Context
Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) adoption is moving from early experimentation to infrastructure-scale deployment as organizations push more sensing, compliance, and automation to the edge. For IotaComm, this shift reinforces why we are building a standards-based path to scalable deployments, with licensed-spectrum options that support predictable performance where reliability matters most.
As a reference point for projected market growth, Future Market Insights reports: “The Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) Market is estimated to be valued at USD 16.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 973.1 billion by 2035, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.0% over the forecast period.” (Source: Future Market Insights, “Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) Market… 2025 to 2035,” accessed [January 28, 2026].)
IotaComm’s 800 MHz LoRaWAN® Reference Design and newly authorized Environmental Sensor are designed to help partners and customers move faster from concept to deployment, while staying aligned with an interoperable LoRaWAN® ecosystem and expanding the set of viable LPWAN deployment models for critical infrastructure, industrial, and public-sector environments.
About IotaComm, Inc.
IotaComm® is a digital infrastructure company powering Physical AI for smart buildings and smart cities, transforming continuous environmental and operational data into actionable intelligence that drives healthier buildings, more resilient infrastructure, and more efficient operations. The company operates a nationwide portfolio of FCC-licensed 800 MHz spectrum on LoRaWAN®, the leading open global standard for secure, carrier-grade LPWAN connectivity, and delivers a managed foundation of gateways, sensors, and network services that enable real-time insights into indoor air quality, resource consumption, water quality, and asset performance across commercial, industrial, and public-sector environments. Headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC, with operations in Allentown, PA, IotaComm is committed to innovation, sustainability, and long-term value for customers, communities, and shareholders. Learn more at iotacomm.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our beliefs regarding the role IoT will play in the future, our ability to implement our strategic goals, our ability to raise capital and reduce costs, and any other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, and financial condition. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated include, but are not limited to: risks related to our growth strategy; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; our ability to obtain, perform under and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; our dependence on third-party suppliers; our ability to attract, integrate, and retain key personnel; the early stage of products under development; our need for substantial additional funds; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
Investors:
IotaComm, Inc.
200 West Franklin Street, Suite 300
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Tel: +1 (855) 743-6478
investors@iotacomm.com
Corporate/Public Relations/Media:
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Tel: +1 (984) 250-7770
mjackson@iotacomm.com
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SOURCE IotaComm
