Sweden-based Netmore Group, the last operator attempting to build a global LoRaWAN network, has expanded into South America, starting in Brazil, following completion of its acquisition of Dutch operator Everynet. It will pitch to local enterprises in the energy, agriculture, transportation, and logistics markets, it said. Meanwhile, the firm has launched a new metering-as-a-service (MaaS) offer for water and gas utilities, offering an alternative to traditional capex-heavy advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployments.
The deal for Everynet cements Netmore Group’s position as the most ambitious and acquisitive outfit in the non-cellular IoT market, having snapped-up US-based Senet at the start of 2024, opened-up a local presence in the Asia Pacific region, and signed-up various regional LoRaWAN providers on franchise-style deals via its platform-as-a-service product (acquired from Senet). Everynet operates on four continents, with operations in the US, UK, Spain, and Ireland, and “new opportunities” in Brazil, Italy, Indonesia, Andorra, and Iceland.
The deal expands its “direct presence” to 17 countries – and makes it “the top LoRaWAN operator in the world”, it said. It claimed it can already offer customers in South America “best-in-class” low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) coverage, and promised to expand coverage through existing and new infrastructure partnerships. It will make available its network as-a-service (NaaS) and platform as-a-service (PaaS) offerings, and work with partners on “comprehensive IoT solutions” for “process automation, business optimization, and environmental preservation”.
The company has appointed Gustavo Zarife as country manager for Brazil and vice president for South America; he joins with the Everynet purchase. Other appointments include Frederik Oliver, as vice president and head of business development, and Antonio Terlizzi, as country manager for Italy and vice president of Southeast Europe; both also join from Everynet. Helena Sanneblad has joined as head of development from Navico Group, and Paolo Mangano has joined as head of product management from Bouygues Telecom.
Ove Anebygd, chief executive at Netmore Group, said: “Brazil is the fastest-growing economy in South America and is among the most regulated markets from a telecom perspective. Our expansion into Brazil and the broader region is underpinned by Netmore’s ability to cost effectively deploy and manage both public and localized network services while maintaining a high service level agreement commitment. Building on Everynet’s advancements, Netmore is well aligned with both infrastructure partners and solution providers to drive this digital shift.”
The firm’s MaaS offer provides an option for water and gas utilities to redirect their focus from meter-related concerns to critical sustainability and efficiency issues. A statement said: “[It] delivers a hassle-free fully managed turnkey AMI solution. Utilities pay only a monthly fee per communicating meter, which includes repair and replacement services, for the duration of the MaaS contract.” It is currently only available in Europe and the US; its availability in other regions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, it said.
Andreas Stenhager, chief commercial officer at Netmore Group, said: “By blending our deep operational expertise with flexible financing options, we’re able to offer MaaS solutions that not only come with competitive pricing but also strong, outcome-driven guarantees. This creates significant value for utilities, enabling them to focus on critical challenges like tackling non-revenue water, while we handle the technology. Most importantly, our approach makes the full potential of smart metering accessible to a broader range of utilities.”