Wi-Fi Alliance announced a new type of Wi-Fi for IoT and low-power devices

Wi-Fi is now one of the main types of wireless communications. Most communication devices are equipped with this kind of wireless communication. But here are smart gadgets, i.e. “smart” devices usually do not use Wi-Fi to communicate with each other. There are exceptions, but not so many.

Manufacturers are reluctant to embed this kind of communication modules in smart gadgets, since Wi-Fi requires a significant amount of energy. And this is a real problem for devices that need to be small, cheap and autonomous for months or even years. But now this problem seems to be gradually resolved. The Wi-Fi Alliance is going to certify the Wi-Fi HaLow standard , the main one for which is the unapproved while IEEE 802.11ah specification.

The Wi-Fi HaLow uses the radio frequencies of the 900 MHz band. This will allow the devices to work with each other at greater than now, distances with less energy. Wi-Fi HaLow will be used in smart homes, smart cars, digital healthcare and in many other areas, including heavy industry.
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As you can understand, the range of Wi-Fi HaLow will be two times more than the standard Wi-Fi. Plus, obstacles like walls will cause less inconvenience, Wi-Fi HaLow provides a more reliable connection. But the bandwidth will be lower than that of Wi-Fi 802.11ac.

It is planned that devices that support Wi-Fi HaLow will also work in other bands, including 2.4 and 5 GHz. This will create a sustainable ecosystem of gadgets that can work on wireless communications. HaLow Wi-Fi enabled devices will be able to connect to cloud services, including data warehouses. Also, one access point will be able to provide thousands of different devices.

Certification of gadgets with the support of the new wireless standard will begin no earlier than 2018, but the devices themselves will appear much earlier, as it usually happens.