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These radios have been available for quite some time, it's the Semtech SX127x line (e.g. SX1276). I was looking into LoRa and other long-range IoT WAN radios about a year ago for a research project.

You can get cheap (22 USD) Arduino-compatible development boards here using HopeRF modules, which work great with the RadioHead library:

http://www.anarduino.com/miniwireless/ http://www.airspayce.com/mikem/arduino/RadioHead/

(I have no affiliation with the websites.)

Sigfox-ready chips can be bought from Atmel, Axsem, SiLabs, TI, .. and more : http://makers.sigfox.com/

You should be able to get some Sigfox-enabled TI CC1120 for a few $ easily.

Agreed. Seriously doubt there is some fundamentally new chips or anything. My suspicion is like, a cc430 + a front end radio amp lol