Netmore Acquires Actility: What the Biggest LoRaWAN Consolidation Means for Operators

On January 26, 2026, Netmore Group announced the acquisition of Actility – sealing the largest merger in the LoRaWAN ecosystem to date. Over 14 million contracted IoT devices, deployments across more than 100 countries, and partnerships with over 50 LoRaWAN network operators now sit under one roof. For the LPWAN industry, this isn't an ordinary M&A deal – it's a tectonic shift.

But what does this consolidation actually mean? For network operators, for enterprises betting on LoRaWAN, and for those running open alternatives like ChirpStack? This article analyzes the technical, strategic, and market implications – from the perspective of a technical operator.

Who Are Netmore and Actility?

Netmore Group

Stockholm-based Netmore Group positions itself as the leading global network operator for Massive IoT. The pre-acquisition numbers tell a clear story: 18 countries with active operations, over 800 projects worldwide, 3.4 million managed devices, and more than 20,000 gateways. Add to that a partner ecosystem of over 200 companies. The focus is on utilities, property management, and enterprise IoT – verticals where carrier-grade reliability and local support aren't optional but mission-critical.

Backing Netmore is Nordic infrastructure investor Polar Structure – a signal that long-term thinking, not quarterly cycles, drives the strategy.

Actility

Actility, founded in Paris, is one of the original architects of the LoRaWAN specification and a founding member of the LoRa Alliance. ThingPark isn't just another network server – it's a multi-technology IoT mediation platform supporting LoRaWAN, LTE-M, NB-IoT, and satellite connectivity. Hardware-agnostic, with open APIs and the largest catalog of pre-integrated IoT devices on the market.

ThingPark is de facto the most widely deployed commercial LoRaWAN network server globally – deployed in over 50 countries, with industrial-grade high availability, security by design, and 24/7 monitoring. Tier-1 telcos like Orange have been running ThingPark for over a decade to power their public LoRaWAN networks. Through its subsidiary Abeeway, Actility also offers ultra-low-power multi-technology tracking solutions.

The combination: Netmore brings 3.4 million devices, 20,000+ gateways, and carrier-grade operational experience. Actility brings the platform, technological foundation, and global partner network. Together: 14 million devices – roughly 11% of all LoRaWAN devices deployed worldwide, based on the LoRa Alliance's estimate of 125 million devices (as of December 2025, growing at a 25% CAGR).

What Does the Acquisition Bring Technically?

The press release lists several concrete technical additions that go beyond mere network footprint:

ThingPark Exchange (TEX) – Roaming Hub

TEX is Actility's roaming platform connecting public and private LoRaWAN networks. Partners like Orange, KPN, and Swisscom are already onboarded. For Netmore, this means instant access to a functioning roaming ecosystem rather than building one from scratch.

Roaming has historically been a sore point in LoRaWAN. Unlike cellular, where roaming agreements have been standardized for decades, LoRaWAN roaming was long more theory than practice. TEX changes that – at least within the ThingPark ecosystem.

DLMS over LoRaWAN

DLMS (Device Language Message Specification) is the standard for smart meter communication. Native integration into LoRaWAN means more efficient data transmission for utilities without additional middleware. Particularly in the European smart metering market, where regulatory requirements are stringent, this is a compelling argument.

LoRaWAN Relay

Relay is a relatively recent addition to the LoRaWAN specification that uses devices as intermediate stations to extend range. For applications like water meters in basements or industrial sensors in shielded environments, this can be the difference between "works" and "doesn't work." Actility is among the first to have implemented Relay in production.

FUOTA (Firmware Update Over The Air)

Firmware updates in LoRaWAN are notoriously difficult – low bandwidth, high latency, battery-powered devices. Actility's FUOTA implementation is particularly relevant in the context of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which will require firmware update capabilities for IoT devices from 2027 onwards.

On-Premise High Availability

For regulated environments (energy utilities, industry), Actility offers on-premise deployments with high availability. In a market where many providers offer exclusively cloud-based solutions, this is a differentiator.

Public vs. Private Networks: What Changes?

The LoRaWAN landscape has long been split: public networks (operated by telcos or specialized providers) on one side, private networks (operated by enterprises for their own use cases) on the other. These worlds largely existed in parallel.

Netmore+Actility changes the dynamic in several ways:

Bridge between public and private: ThingPark Exchange theoretically enables seamless roaming between private and public networks. A utility company could operate a private network for its core infrastructure and fall back to public networks in peripheral areas – through a single provider.

Hybrid models become easier: The combination of Netmore's operational expertise and Actility's platform flexibility (cloud, on-premise, hybrid) makes mixed deployment models more accessible.

Economies of scale for public networks: With 14 million devices under contract and over 20,000 gateways, a critical mass emerges that makes public LoRaWAN networks more economically viable – a historical problem that has sunk other operators. For context: the LoRa Alliance estimates the total number of deployed LoRaWAN devices worldwide at approximately 125 million (as of late 2025). Netmore+Actility manages roughly one in every ten devices.

Vendor Lock-in vs. Stability: Both Sides

The Case for Consolidation

Fragmentation was one of the biggest obstacles to enterprise LoRaWAN adoption. A CTO looking to invest in LoRaWAN faced the question: Which platform? Which operator? What happens if my provider doesn't exist in three years?

Netmore+Actility answers at least the stability question. A provider with 14 million devices, backing from an infrastructure investor, and tier-1 customers like Orange isn't going anywhere fast. For enterprise customers who need long-term contracts, that's a real advantage.

The Case Against Consolidation

The flip side: when a single provider becomes the de facto standard, competitive pressure decreases. Prices could rise, innovation could slow, and customers deeply integrated into ThingPark have limited exit options.

Vendor lock-in in IoT platforms is especially problematic because it's not just about software – it's about device provisioning, network configurations, data pipelines, and often multi-year contracts. Switching from ThingPark to an alternative is not a weekend project.

For a deeper look at the risks of platform dependency in IoT, see our analysis on vendor lock-in and build-vs-operate decisions.

ChirpStack vs. ThingPark: A Neutral Comparison

As an operator that relies on ChirpStack Managed Hosting, we naturally lean toward the open-source side. But an honest comparison requires presenting both sides fairly.

ThingPark – Strengths

• Market position: Largest ecosystem, most pre-integrations, largest device catalog
• Enterprise features: Roaming (TEX), FUOTA, DLMS, multi-technology (LoRaWAN + NB-IoT + LTE-M)
• Support: 24/7 with SLAs, proven for tier-1 customers
• Compliance: Certifications and regulatory conformity out of the box

ThingPark – Weaknesses

• Proprietary: No source code access, vendor dependency
• Cost: License-based model that scales with device count
• Flexibility: Customizations only within the scope of provided APIs
• Exit: Migration to other platforms is complex and costly

ChirpStack – Strengths

• Open source: Full source code, no license fees
• Flexibility: Every component can be customized or replaced
• Independence: No single vendor controls the platform – community-driven, with no commercial entity behind it
• API-first: gRPC API for integrations, cloud provider connectors, web interface for gateways/devices/tenants
• Full device class support: Class A, B, and C
• Community: Active developer community, rapid feature adoption
• Cost: No device licenses, only infrastructure costs

ChirpStack – Weaknesses

• Enterprise features: No native roaming, no DLMS, no multi-technology support
• Support: Community-based, no guaranteed SLA (without a managed hosting provider)
• Integration: Fewer pre-integrations, more DIY required
• Scaling: Possible but requires in-house expertise

The Reality

For many operators, the decision isn't either/or. ChirpStack excels for organizations that prioritize technical control, need specific customizations, and have the expertise (or buy it) to run their own stack. ThingPark is the choice for enterprises seeking a turnkey system with maximum integration and minimal operational overhead.

The Netmore-Actility acquisition strengthens ThingPark's position in the enterprise segment. At the same time, it doesn't weaken the case for open-source alternatives – quite the opposite: the more dominant a single proprietary vendor becomes, the more important independent alternatives become as a strategic option.

Market Implications: LoRaWAN in Context

LoRaWAN vs. NB-IoT/LTE-M

The consolidation in the LoRaWAN market doesn't happen in a vacuum. NB-IoT and LTE-M, driven by mobile network operators, represent permanent competition. Actility's multi-technology approach (ThingPark also supports NB-IoT and LTE-M) is relevant here: Netmore is positioning itself not as a pure LoRaWAN provider but as an LPWAN platform.

That's strategically smart. Customers don't have to commit to a single radio technology – they can choose the optimal technology per use case while still using a single platform.

Pressure on Smaller Providers

For smaller LoRaWAN network operators and platform providers, the air gets thinner. A consolidated market leader with economies of scale, a broad partner ecosystem, and the financial resources of an infrastructure investor is a formidable competitor.

Possible responses:

• Specialization: Focus on niches (e.g., specific verticals or regions) that are unattractive for the big player
• Open-source differentiation: Position as an independent, flexible alternative
• Partnerships: Integrate into the Netmore/Actility ecosystem rather than compete
• Consolidation: Further M&A activity in response

Europe as an IoT Battleground

The European dimension is noteworthy: Netmore (Sweden), Actility (France), Orange (France), KPN (Netherlands), Swisscom (Switzerland). The consolidation is happening in Europe, with European players. In an industry often dominated by US and Chinese tech companies, that's at least worth noting.