A new low-power, long-range version of Wi-Fi that bolsters Internet of Things (IoT) connections will be dubbed Wi-Fi HaLow, the Wi-Fi Alliance revealed today in advance of CES.
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Using thinner channels in the lower 900MHz frequency band and fewer network authentication handshakes, a smart battery-operated IoT device using HaLow instead of traditional Wi-Fi will have twice the range and could last years instead of weeks or months. “WiFi is already the default mode of connectivity to the Internet, and a more power efficient, longer range solution will enable WiFi to further proliferate in markets, including the smart home, connected vehicle, digital health care, industrial, retail, and smart city, while connecting with the billions of user-facing WiFi devices already in use”, Robinson explained. For small devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, connected light bulbs, and fancy coffee machines, however, HaLow would enable sufficiently speedy data rates, as the amount of data traffic passing to and from these kinds of gadgets is much, much lower.
Think of it as a sort of Wi-Fi alternative to Bluetooth.
On top of a smaller power consumption but a longer range, HaLow also ensures connectivity to other Wi-Fi certified devices, operating any of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s standards.
Indeed, this band also enables Wi-Fi HaLow devices to operate without the requirement of mains power or a even a particularly strong battery. HaLow devices will be able to connect directly to wireless routers just like any other Wi-Fi product, providing easy access to the Internet. Of course, the lower the frequency, the slower the bit transfers, meaning that HaLow won’t be used for computer connections.
What Wi-Fi HaLow can’t handle, just like Bluetooth, is a vast quantity of data.
Wi-Fi Alliance is working on simpler and more secure ways to connect all devices.
In the coming years, any of the things can happen i.e. manufacturers might not care for Halow and shall continue to use the old technology i.e. Bluetooth LE.
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Products capable of supporting the new standard are likely to be rolled out prior to its certification process in 2018, but some trade-offs are expected from its initial launch that might put the average consumer off from jumping on it from the get-go. The lack of such a standard is what now has most IoT applications either tied to their host device, tied to an electrical outlet or both in some cases.
