Operators using the LoRA Internet of Things technology are to start testing on interconnect and roaming by the end of this year, Orange has announced.
The French operator said work was underway on preparing for interconnection tests with fellow European operators who also use the LoRa network, as well as roaming standards. The trials and their framework will be overseen by IoT body the LoRa Alliance.
[Read more: BT backs LoRa and NB-IoT for smart cities, eyes future LTE-M trials]
In a statement, Orange said the roaming standard would support its Orange Business Services end to end solution to deliver IoT coverage in towns, harbours or industrial sites, which was announced earlier this year.
The solution offers companies a range of connected objects that have been tested and certified by the operator, which as the LoRa Developer Kit. It allows French enterprises to trial objects and services on Orange’s LoRa network in its home market.
The operator is planning to have 75 IoT devices available by the end of this month.
The French operator also said it is on course to deliver nationwide coverage by the end of 2017. The technology, which Orange launched in 2015 and is backed by other operators including Bouygues and Proximus, now covers almost 4,000 towns and industrial sites in-building and below ground across France.
Orange told Mobile Europe in May that it was so enthused about LoRa because of its strengths in interoperability and flexibility of deployment methods.
Last month, Poland became the latest European market to get LoRa, with IoT provider Netemera launching a nationwide rollout of the technology.