Scaling with Confidence: Migration Journey
Why Fab Controls Migrated from AWS IoT to The Things Stack
When Fab Controls chose to migrate from AWS IoT to The Things Stack, the decision was not driven by feature comparison alone. It was about long term business risk, cost control, and building on infrastructure that supports growth rather than constrains it.
Jeremy Turner, Managing Director at Fab Controls, (a UK-based provider of IoT-lead lighting solutions and software stack for connected lighting) led the transition. He shared what drove the move, what made it difficult, and why it was worth it.
The trigger? Predictability and platform risk
For growing IoT companies, infrastructure decisions are business decisions. When pricing is unclear or platforms are unstable, the risk compounds as device volume increases. As Fab Controls expanded their device footprint and trials across two years using AWS, two issues became increasingly difficult to ignore.
First, infrastructure costs were unpredictable. Without a clear ceiling, long term financial planning became complicated. As Jeremy puts it:
“Using other LNS’s, we cannot scale your business knowing that your cost is just going to keep rising.”
Second, they had already experienced what happens when a hyperscaler changes direction. Google IoT was shut down entirely. While Fab Controls managed to recover by remotely updating their devices, the disruption reshaped how they evaluate platform partners.
Platform dependency is manageable. Platform instability is not.
The Things Stack offered something materially different: a defined pricing model and a long term commitment to LoRaWAN infrastructure.
“You have a pricing model. That matters. It means we can plan and scale.”
For decision makers, that predictability reduces operational risk and protects margins as device volume increases.
Why The Things Stack stands out
Once implemented, the strengths of The Things Stack became clear. The platform delivered transparent costs, structured diagnostics and operational clarity.
During our conversation, Jeremy highlighted the personable service, dashboard and console as major positives, particularly the depth of information available when troubleshooting.
“When something goes wrong, you provide a lot of diagnostic information. We know where the error is.” For a company whose model depends on scaling to large volumes of devices, that level of transparency reduces risk and accelerates issue resolution.
“Our business model only works at scale. We need something reliable and predictable.”
A different way to think about risk
Fab Controls’ experience highlights an important shift in how IoT leaders evaluate infrastructure partners. The question is no longer just about feature sets. It is about long term alignment. Ask yourself:
- Can you forecast your costs as you scale?
- Is the platform built specifically for your connectivity model?
- Will the provider still be committed to this segment five years from now?
For Fab Controls, the answers became clearer after migration.
“If I had known The Things Stack’s pricing was more flexible, I would have switched earlier.”
Despite early hesitation, the long term benefits outweighed the short term friction.
“Go for it. It is worth it in the end.”
The outcome: Confidence to grow
Today, Fab Controls is scaling its connected lighting solutions strategy on The Things Stack with greater financial predictability, stronger diagnostics, and improved operational control.
The migration was not just a technical change. It was a strategic move to reduce business risk and enable sustainable growth.
For companies evaluating their current LoRaWAN Network Server, the lesson is clear: infrastructure decisions compound over time. The right foundation strengthens margins, protects uptime, and supports long term expansion.
Ready to future proof your LoRaWAN infrastructure and scale your solution?
If you are currently starting to question long term cost predictability, platform commitment, or how well it will support your growth, it might be worth taking a step back and reviewing your options.
The Things Stack is purpose built for LoRaWAN, with predictable pricing and the kind of operational visibility teams rely on when scaling connected products.
If you want to schedule a call to learn more about The Things Stack or plan to migrate from other LNS, contact us directly at sales@thethingsindustries.com,
