Monday, January 4, 2016

Wi-Fi Alliance Launches HaLow Standard for IoT Communications

The latest version of the “can Wi-Fi become a substitute for mobile access” is thinking about how connectivity will work for Internet of Things devices.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced a new “Wi-Fi HaLow” (pronounced “halo”) specification  for products incorporating IEEE 802.11ah technology, operating at frequencies below 1 GHz and designed for longer-range, low-power IoT apps.

Wi-Fi HaLow extends Wi-Fi into the 900 MHz band, once more generally the province of mobile connections.

Doing so will enable HaLow transmission range nearly twice that of today’s Wi-Fi, and will not only be capable of transmitting signals further, but also providing a more robust connection in challenging environments where the ability to more easily penetrate walls or other barriers is an important consideration, the Wi-Fi Alliance argues.

Given the importance Wi-Fi access has assumed as a supplement to mobile network access, it is not surprising that some want to push the boundaries between mobile and Wi-Fi as the “primary” modes of access in other arenas as well.

Up to this point, Wi-Fi has been viewed mostly as an important supplement to mobile access, rather than as a full substitute. HaLow is different in the sense that it is designed to do so, by design.

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