The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global organisation dedicated to advancing Wi-Fi standards and services, has announced the successful completion of phase two field trials of IEEE 802.11ah Wi-Fi HaLow.
This technology promises reliable, long-range, low-power connectivity, making it an ideal solution for numerous IoT applications. Part of the WBA’s Wi-Fi HaLow for IoT project, the trials conducted in North America have demonstrated the scalability and efficiency of Wi-Fi HaLow in challenging environments such as dense urban areas and large industrial complexes. The accompanying “Wi-Fi HaLow for IoT: Field Trials Report” provides actionable insights for businesses, network planners, and operators.
Each use case tested during the trials showed a range of benefits, including extended ranges, improved material penetration capabilities, prolonged battery life, increased device density, enhanced security, ease of installation and management, and elevated data throughput in IoT scenarios compared to existing Wi-Fi standards. The phase two field trials covered use cases such as Smart Home, Warehousing, Smart Farm, Smart City, Smart Office Building, Smart School Campus, and Smart Industrial Complex.
The trials were conducted by the WBA and its members, including key partners like Morse Micro, Newracom, and Methods2Business, along with participants such as AT&T, Charter Communications, Nextcomm Systems, and Qualcomm, focusing on larger-scale implementations and testing Wi-Fi HaLow in more challenging environments.
Wi-Fi HaLow features several key attributes, including operation in the sub-1 GHz radio band, narrow channel bandwidths, an increased number of supported devices, and new operating modes to accommodate battery-operated devices. It builds on the foundations of Wi-Fi, retaining features such as high levels of security and native-IP support.
The “Wi-Fi HaLow for IoT: Field Trials Report” offers actionable insights that can drive innovation and strategic decisions within the Wi-Fi industry. For businesses, it outlines a roadmap for harnessing Wi-Fi HaLow to develop new products and enter new markets. For network planners and operators, it provides evidence-based strategies for enhancing network capabilities and service offerings. Additionally, the report serves as an educational resource, deepening understanding of Wi-Fi HaLow’s operational dynamics and benefits.
“Each of these real-world field trials has been a huge success demonstrating the readiness and the benefits Wi-Fi HaLow standard can bring to a vast range of industries and use cases, improving performance and reducing complexity. We now move to the next phase, and are inviting industry players interested in participating in trials across EMEA and APAC to reach out. Your participation can help shape the future of IoT connectivity and drive innovation across various sectors,” commented Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance.
“After several years of intense collaboration with the other Wi-Fi HaLow device manufacturers to establish in 2021 the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow standard, it’s really great to further strengthen our joint efforts in the Wireless Broadband Alliance to jointly develop the global Wi-Fi HaLow market,” added Marleen Boonen, CEO & Founder of Methods2Business. “Our company is really delighted about the overwhelming range, coverage and penetration results obtained in the US field trials with the different vendor solutions in various real-life use cases. After this great experience, our team is very motivated to demonstrate more benefits of the Wi-Fi HaLow technology, like lower power consumption for a multi-year battery operation in sensors, in the upcoming field trials in Europe and Japan.”
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