French IoT specialist Kerlink has launched the Wirnet iStation M2 gateway delivering enhanced performance and extended capabilities compared with the firm’s earlier gateways.

It ensures reliable service in extremely remote terrain, such as mines and islands, while supporting Kerlink’s widely used smart city, smart metering, and smart agriculture and environment applications.

With this gateway, Kerlink anticipates a new era for IoT characterised by two major shifts: the democratisation of connectivity in areas with limited power or backhaul access, and the rise of the age of edge, in which data processing moves closer to the device rather than relying solely on remote servers. Wirnet iStation M2 is engineered to support this evolution, offering a feature set that ensures continuous operation in virtually all outdoor locations.

“With the Wirnet iStation M2, Kerlink brings reliable IoT connection to isolated markets where power availability has historically been a barrier to deployment,” said Yann Bauduin, chief sales officer at Kerlink.

The M2, which is designed and manufactured in France, advances Kerlink’s outdoor gateway line by addressing market demands for energy independence and edge-computing power.With power consumption of less than 1.8W, it is compatible with solar panels. Kerlink offers a dedicated solar kit that provides ten days of autonomy, ensuring round-the-clock year-round availability regardless of weather conditions.

Built on the Semtech SX1302 LoRa core, the M2 features SF5/SF6 spreading factors for faster modulations and increased cell capacity. It has twice the number of demodulators (eight channels), allowing higher message throughput and more connected devices.

The unit is equipped with four internal antennas covering main and auxiliary cellular, GNSS, and wifi and BLE, plus one external LoRa antenna. Backhaul options include 4G, /5G, wifi and Ethernet. Built-in radio diagnostics and optimisation tools ensure the antenna is connected correctly and that the transmit and receive RF chains are functioning.

Powered by an NXP i.MX 8XLite CPU with upgraded RAM, the M2 supports local data processing, reducing latency and bandwidth costs.

Compliant with the EU Red Delegated Act 2022/30 (Red Cyber), the gateway features secure boot, secure storage and encrypted links to ensure data integrity.

Wirnet iStation M2 (www.kerlink.com/iot-solutions/iot-gateways/wirnet-outdoor-lorawan-gateways/) comes with a lifetime guarantee, consistent with Kerlink’s entire gateway portfolio. It will integrate seamlessly with network server (LNS) providers, including Actility Tao, Netmore, ChirpStack, Orbiwise, Loriot and Things Network.

While the M2 introduces capabilities for remote and edge applications, Kerlink (www.kerlink.com) continues to offer its existing Wirnet iStation, the company’s best-selling gateway.