Wi-Fi HaLow trials underway for smart home and IoT applications

An Australian-based wireless technology company has possibly set a new Wi-Fi transmission record of 1.8 miles while maintaining sufficient throughput for a video call. What's impressive besides the range is that this demonstration was done in a real world interference-laden setting and what this could mean for consumer products.

In a recent video, Wi-Fi innovation company Morse Micro showed off its groundbreaking development in the Wi-Fi HaLow (i.e. 802.11ah) protocol space. Company employees showed off how Wi-Fi HaLow transmission could conduct a video call over a distance of 1.8 miles (3 kilometers). Yes, they're standing pretty much in a straight line on a beach in California, but the setting can be brutal even for short-range Wi-Fi signals, such as buildings, vehicles, and open water (which is a strong reflector/refractor of Wi-Fi waves).

A great example of how Wi-Fi HaLow wireless networks can benefit warehousing and retail is electronic shelf edge labels. These devices – based on battery-powered LCD or electronic paper screens – can be easily managed via Wi-Fi HaLow, which not only accommodates thousands of connected devices, but also provides energy-efficient networking.

The power-saving nature of Wi-Fi HaLow is well-suited to battery-powered clients, which dramatically broadens the scope of where IoT technology can be deployed. For example, systems could be ideal for agricultural applications, bringing IoT into the field and barn. The wide-area coverage is also well-suited for manufacturing, healthcare, and smart city applications – to list just a few more industrial IoT scenarios.

If all goes to plan, this should be great news for supporting large-scale IoT developments – particularly across relatively inaccessible areas. Having a long battery life could give the go-ahead to projects that were previously thought to be unviable using older Wi-Fi infrastructure.

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