How to Monitor Remote Environments Without Relying on Mobile Coverage

When you're responsible for managing remote infrastructure, whether it’s a stormwater system, a fuel moisture sensor or a biodiversity site tucked away in dense bushland, there’s one recurring challenge: how do you keep data flowing when there's no mobile coverage in sight?

LoRaWAN plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role in many of our remote environmental monitoring systems, reliably connecting devices where traditional networks fall short.

What is LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN stands for Long Range Wide Area Network. It’s a wireless communication protocol designed to transmit small amounts of data over long distances, using very little power. Think of it as the quiet, efficient backbone of remote sensor networks. LoRaWAN is ideal for hard-to-reach places where 4G or Wi-Fi aren’t an option.

How does LoRaWAN work?

• Sensors/Devices Collect Data: These are smart sensors in the field, measuring temperature, soil moisture, water levels, etc. They send small data packets like “humidity is 65%” or “tank is half full.”

• LoRaWAN Gateways Receive the Signal: A gateway (like a special long-range router) picks up signals from devices, even those that are several kilometres away. One gateway can serve thousands of devices.

• Data is securely transmitted to a LoRaWAN network server such as Loriot (with alternatives including ChirpStack, The Things Network, and Actility).

• From the network server, data is fed into the Indicium DataBus, where it’s processed and integrated in real-time.

• The data is then visualised and analysed via the Indicium Cloud, enabling powerful insights through platforms like Power BI, Data Lakes, and SCADA systems.

A visual representation of this process is illustrated below.

Why It Works for Remote Monitoring

With LoRaWAN, we can connect environmental sensors across rugged terrain, send data from the field to a central platform, and give our clients real-time visibility even in areas with no phone reception.

At Indicium, we use LoRaWAN across all kinds of projects:

• Water Monitoring: tracking dam levels, detecting leaks, or monitoring stormwater flow in real time

• Fire Risk Detection: combining LoRaWAN with weather and fuel moisture sensors to support faster responses

• Ecological Monitoring: capturing microclimate data for sensitive species or conservation zones

• Energy Efficiency: monitoring usage and load in areas with little or no network infrastructure

  
  

It’s low-cost, low-maintenance, and designed to go the distance — literally.

A LoRaWAN gateway deployed on a fire tower

What makes it different to other network communication options?

Unlike mobile networks that drain power and require constant signal, LoRaWAN is designed for devices that send small, regular packets of data and last for years on a single battery. It works well across kilometres of open landscape, through trees, or even inside infrastructure like tanks or pits.

That makes it especially useful for:

• Remote farms and catchments

• Isolated bushfire-prone zones

• Biodiversity reserves and national parks

The communication range of a LoRaWAN device depends on several factors, including antenna quality, terrain, and environmental interference. In built-up areas, LoRaWAN devices can communicate between 2-5kms, and when placed at height in line of sight to a gateway, the range can extend to 20-30kms (although our current record is 198kms).

LoRaWAN in Action: Fuel Moisture Sensing in Remote Forest Environments

Our Automated Fuel Moisture Sensors project is a great example of the transformative potential of LoRaWAN in remote, off-grid environments. By deploying solar-powered telemetry units connected to fuel moisture probes, the system delivers continuous, real-time data across expansive forested areas lacking cellular coverage. This approach enhances the accuracy of fuel moisture readings, reduces the need for costly and time-consuming manual field inspections, and mitigates safety risks for personnel operating in challenging terrains.

The integration of these sensors into the INDICIUM Stack platform allows for streamlined data analysis and informed decision-making in fire management practices. This project underscores how LoRaWAN technology can provide reliable, scalable solutions for environmental monitoring in areas where traditional connectivity is unavailable.

You can learn more about the project and other applications of LoRaWAN here.

A LoRaWAN Gateway deployment in a remote forest

You might not hear much about LoRaWAN outside of IoT circles. But for those of us working in environmental monitoring, it’s one of the most powerful tools in the kit. It’s not about more data. It’s about the right data - delivered in real time, from the places where it matters most.

If you're trying to monitor something in a tricky location, and wondering how to make it all work: we'd love to explore it with you.

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