The LoRaWAN cooperation network of the city of Bonn, Stadtwerke Bonn and Hochschule Bonn-Rhein Sieg (H-BRS) support the community-based LoRaWAN initiative "The Things Network". LoRaWAN gateways that can receive sensor data and make it available openly and freely via the initiative's data platform have been put into operation at three locations in Bonn. The special feature of the new installations is that the LoRaWAN gateways are attached to towers of Stadtwerke Bonn on the Hardtberg, the North and South combined heat and power plants, thus ensuring very good range and coverage for the Bonn city area and the surrounding area. Two further locations are being planned. The gateways are operated and financed by the cooperation network of the city of Bonn and municipal utilities. Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences is providing advice and support with the configuration of the devices. The technical funding will improve the LoRaWAN infrastructure, which can be used freely by private individuals. The cooperation network is thus supplementing the infrastructure expansion for internal LoRaWAN use with a publicly usable LoRaWAN network, thus making a further contribution on the way to Smart City Bonn.

The Things Network is a global, open, free and decentralized project. Volunteers take over the management of a LoRaWAN network in digital volunteering. The community can thus collaboratively build applications for the Internet of Things in many countries around the world. Low Power Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN for short) is a radio network for transmitting data from battery-operated sensors over long distances, for example.